Data Point: How Many Border Belt Students Get Private School Vouchers?
More students in Bladen, Columbus, Robeson, and Scotland counties received taxpayer-funded Opportunity Scholarships this year.
Drought, Rising Fuel Costs Strain North Carolina Farmers
Despite recent rainfall, the state is experiencing the worst drought in nearly two decades.
Border Belt Schools Say They Need More Local Money to Fill Budget Gaps
Meanwhile, county leaders say they are also struggling to keep up with rising costs for services.
Border Belt Counties Push Back Against Proposed Changes to Property Taxes
Local leaders say counties should determine property revaluations and tax rates, not the North Carolina legislature.
What the Medicaid Deal Means for the Border Belt
The legislature approved $319 million to keep the program afloat for more than 3 million recipients across North Carolina.
Bladen County Schools Might Cut Jobs to Reduce Costs
The superintendent is recommending the elimination of several positions, a move he says would save the district more than $2 million.
Why Border Belt Counties Lag Behind Wealthier Communities in School Funding
The gap between the richest and poorest schools continues to widen, even as low-wealth counties tax themselves more heavily, a report shows.
More Bladen County Coverage
Data Point: Border Belt Schools See Drops in Reported Crime Rates
Public Schools of Robeson County remained slightly above the statewide average with an incident rate of 7.8 per 1,000 students.
How One N.C. Charter School On the Brink of Failure Made a Massive Comeback
The Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy was at risk of closure. Now the state board that oversees charters hails the school as a success.
Bladen County School Board Votes to Close Elementary School
Parents and community members pleaded with the board to save the school, which opened a century ago to serve Black students during segregation.
Proposal To Close Bladen County School Rattles Parents
Enrollment at East Arcadia School has been declining for years. Now school officials might close the school as part of a consolidation.
Unaffiliated Voters Surge in the Border Belt as Democrats’ Numbers Shrink
The shift in rural southeastern North Carolina, once a stronghold for Democratic candidates, reflects statewide trends.
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