We, the undersigned, call on you to take immediate action to support our educators and students by closing the school districts on May 1, 2026. This is essential for us to demonstrate our commitment to prioritizing public education in North Carolina.

For over a decade, our state has given away more than $18 billion in tax breaks and private school vouchers while our public schools suffered from high teacher turnover, understaffing in our EC programs and services, crumbling buildings, low educator pay, and rising healthcare costs. Under the North Carolina General Assembly’s leadership, North Carolina has become the most poorly funded public school system in the nation and is 50th out of 51 states and DC in per pupil spending.

As community members, we take this personally. A dramatic shift in the common sense narrative around public education in our state needs to take place if we want to see a change in the status quo. We believe that strong public schools, the heart of our communities, are vital for our children’s future, and it is time for us to take a stand and say that prioritizing corporate interests over the needs of our kids is unacceptable.

On May 1, educators, staff, parents, and community members from Buncombe County and all over the state will head to Raleigh to reclaim our democracy and fight for the changes our children deserve. To make this powerful show of solidarity feasible, we need your support in closing schools on this day.

By taking a stand in solidarity with our local educators, we can be part of a movement of mass political education that brings our schools back into the heart of discourse in our communities.

Kids Over Corporations statewide collective action on May 1, 2026 is prioritizing these demands:

Put Kids First

- Invest at least $20,000 per student by 2030—the highest funding in the Southeast.
- Fund modern facilities, provide free school meals, and increase the number of health professionals in schools.
- Recruit and retain quality public school teachers and staff with affordable healthcare, improved retirement benefits, and a raise of at least 25% for all school employees.

End Corporate Tax Breaks

- Eliminate corporate tax breaks and redirect those funds to public schools and healthcare.
- Abolish private school vouchers.
Reform the tax system so that the wealthy contribute their fair share.

Reclaim Our Democracy

- Pass fair district maps, protect voting rights, and restore checks and balances in state government.
- Lift the ban on collective bargaining for public school workers.
- Safeguard the constitutional rights of all citizens and reject fear, violence, and intimidation that divide our communities.

The people of Buncombe County and all over North Carolina are saying this is our line in the sand. Is it yours?

We call on you, ACS and BCS board members, to close both districts on May 1st in support of the of above demands.