Happy New Year! We want to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude for the Mills Park Middle School community. As we begin 2026, and continue to celebrate MPMS’s North Carolina Blue Ribbon School Award, we are thankful for our students, educators, and families for your hard work and commitment.
An important update on the NC state budget
The North Carolina General Assembly has yet to pass a state budget, now more than six months overdue. The delay has real consequences for our schools, impacting essential student supports, classroom resources, educator pay, and staffing.
NC is currently the only state in the nation without an approved budget.
These challenges are compounded by long-standing issues. When adjusted for inflation, the average teacher’s pay in NC declined more than 20 percent between 2002 and 2022, far outpacing the national average decline. Additionally, the Education Law Center recently ranked NC last in the nation for education funding.
We are sharing this information so families and community members are aware. We encourage you to stay informed, engage in advocacy in ways that feel right to you, and consider reaching out to your elected representatives in the NC General Assembly to voice your concerns about public education funding in our state.
Public education thrives when communities are informed, engaged, and united. Thank you for supporting MPMS students, educators, and our broader MPMS community.
To get involved, please contact our Advocacy Chair.