Jeffrey Quick, a student success coach at Scotland High School, hangs up signs.
Sarah Nagem | Border Belt Independent
LAURINBURG — Teachers at Scotland High School last week put final touches on their classroom decorations, set up lessons on their smart boards and walked the halls with excitement for a new school year.
Across the highway, Cross Pointe Christian Academy served as a new option for students in kindergarten through 12th grade in Scotland County.
Like other public school districts in rural southeastern North Carolina, enrollment in Scotland County Schools has declined over the years and more families have opted for private schools or homeschooling. The district lost more than 200 students between the 2018-19 and 2022-23 school years — a good chunk for a system that serves fewer than 5,500 students.
Meanwhile, private school enrollment jumped by more than 260 students during the same period. That number could increase since state lawmakers voted to expand the Opportunity Scholarship program beyond low-income families.
The number of Scotland County students in home schools has also increased, from 268 in 2018-19 to 330 last school year.
Rick Singletary, chairman of the Scotland County school board, said he supports families who choose to send their children to private schools. But as a former principal, he said public schools are often better equipped to handle students’ needs.
“I want to think that we are able to provide those resources that look at students and staff individually,” he said.
Cross Pointe Christian Academy did not respond to a request for comment for this story.
Enrollment in private schools and home schools across the state has been on the rise for years, even before the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to switch to remote learning. North Carolina had 881 private schools in 2023-24, up from 828 two years prior, EdNC reported.
The number of registered home schools in North Carolina increased 2.5% from 2022-23 to 2023-24 after seeing a post-pandemic drop.
While the pandemic has played a major role in school enrollments in southeastern North Carolina, so too has hurricane recovery. Public Schools of Robeson County has lost more than 1,000 students since 2018, when Hurricane Florence flooded the county. At the time, schools were still dealing with the damage caused by Hurricane Matthew two years earlier.
Bladen County Schools has lost nearly 350 students since 2018. Columbus County Schools has lost more than 475, and Whiteville City Schools has lost about 200.
The state has not yet released public school enrollment figures for last school year, but local districts have started to regain students. Robeson County schools had nearly 20,500 students last school year, up by more than 400 from the year before.
Meanwhile, private school enrollment in Robeson County has jumped by about 200 students since 2018, and private school enrollment has increased by about 125.
Alex Watson, vice chairman of the board at the Highlander Academy private school in Robeson County, said he didn’t want to “run public schools down.” But, he said, “If the public schools were doing what they should be, then parents wouldn’t be looking for an alternative.”
Private school enrollment has more than doubled in Bladen County since 2018. The public school district has struggled to recruit and retain teachers.
At Scotland High School last week, administrators buzzed with excitement about the new school year. Assistant Principal Kendria Pate said her students are “more than a number.”
“The teachers want to be here,” she said. “The staff want to build the community.”