Major upgrades to one of a kind website that helps North Carolinians explore K-12 school options

A unique website that helps families explore K-12 school options in North Carolina is announcing major upgrades. 

NC Schools Around Me, a project of Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina (PEFNC), was built and launched in 2016. 

The site was developed to provide North Carolina families with a central database to search the schools in their area, including traditional public schools, public charter schools, and private schools.  

As educational options continue to expand in North Carolina and parents shared their needs in finding the right school for their children, PEFNC has made major upgrades to the depth of information available and the user experience when visiting and searching the database of over 3,600 North Carolina K-12 schools. 

NC Schools Around Me includes up-to-date information about North Carolina’s: 

• 2,563 traditional public schools 
• 203 public charter schools
• 846 private schools  

Additionally, PEFNC has provided important data about private schools in the state that accept the North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship Program or Education Student Accounts (a scholarship for students with special needs).  

“Our mission is to ENGAGE at the grassroots level, EDUCATE North Carolinians about the options in our state, and EMPOWER families to have a voice in their children’s education,” said Mike Long, President of Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina. 

“NC Schools Around Me is a critical tool to help PEFNC expand our mission; this unique database and FREE service for families in our state checks all three boxes of engaging, educating and empowering,” added Long.  

This newly minted version provides an opportunity for parents and families to: 

• Filter for the grade levels of their children or type of school. 
• Navigate by address or zip code. 
• Explore private schools in greater detail, such as their uniform requirements, transportation offerings, and tuition breakdown. 
• And, much more at www.ncschoolsaroundme.com. 

“We are thrilled to provide this resource to families as they are exploring their educational options, perhaps now more than ever. We think families will find it to be user-friendly and easy to navigate, removing barriers for families to access the school that best fits their child’s needs,” said Allison Guenther, VP of External Affairs of Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina. 

The site is optimized for a smooth browsing experience as well as helpful, time-saving filters by enrollment type and the grade levels served. For traditional public and public charter schools, NC Schools Around Me includes the latest report card grades released by the Department of Public Instruction. That means families can make decisions on the most recent data and grades for schools in their area – this is parental school choice with a digital twist!