Special education in North Carolina

What North Carolina calls special education, how long each step takes, who to call, free help, paying for services, and how the state scores.

Special education in North Carolina

Special education is called

Exceptional Children (EC)

The IEP meeting

IEP team meeting

Eligibility team

IEP team

Evaluation timeline

90 calendar days. 90 days from receipt of written referral to placement, covering evaluation, eligibility, IEP and placement (NC Policies 1503-2.3)

IEP timeline

Within the same 90 days

Transition planning starts

14 (being checked)

Rights transfer to the student at

Developmental delay category

3 to 7 (child count)

Dyslexia law

partial: G.S. 115C-83.6: K-3 diagnostic reading assessments; HB 149 (2017) dyslexia tool review only

State categories

Serious emotional disability

Find your district and schools

356 districts and charter districts. 67 special education schools and 213 public charter schools.

Get your Hall Pass Schools in North Carolina Services for children in North Carolina (on Disability Atlas)

The state office and your options when you disagree

State special education office

NC Department of Public Instruction, Office of Exceptional Children (984) 236-2100

Procedural safeguards (your rights notice)

Ask your district for a copy.

Mediation

Ask for mediation

State complaint

File a state complaint

Due process

Ask for a due process hearing

Free help for families

Parent centers

ECAC, Inc. (Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center)
Parent Training and Information Center (PTI), Davidson
(704) 892-1321
FIRSTwnc
Parent Center (type not stated on CPIR list), Asheville
Serves: Buncombe County; Haywood County; Henderson County
(828) 277-1315
HOPE Parent Resource Center
Community Parent Resource Center (CPRC), Hickory
Serves: Alexander County; Burke County; Caldwell County; Catawba County; McDowell County
(828) 256-5202

Disability rights agency

Disability Rights North Carolina
Protection and Advocacy Agency, Raleigh
(919) 856-2195

Advocacy groups in North Carolina

Paying for it

Medicaid for children

NC Medicaid

CHIP

NC Medicaid (NC Health Choice merged into Medicaid in 2023)

Apply

Apply for coverage

Medicaid for children with disabilities, whatever the family's income

yes (KFF 2026: state plan option or comparable waiver); program not named in sources checked

Schools bill Medicaid for health services

yes (limited: 504/health plan students)

Autism insurance law

yes. caps not listed

Scholarship or ESA for students with disabilities

both: Education Savings Account+ (ESA+, SWD); Opportunity Scholarship (universal voucher)

Program page

Official program page

How school, Medicaid and insurance fit together

How North Carolina scores

First edition. These grades are new (November 2026) and the weights may still change. Texas graduation data is being confirmed with the state.

State of Schools

C-

Rank 40 of 51

State of Support

D-

Rank 44 of 51

Combined

Rank 46 of 51

Pillar	Grade
Following the law	D+
Learning together	C
Results	C
School funding	F
Family protections	D
Options and transition	B+

IDEA determination 2026: Needs Assistance (2 or more years). How we grade.

Sources for this page are listed in the SPED Atlas research tables (state terms, state help, paying for it). Items marked "being checked" are waiting on a primary source.

Last reviewed: November 2026. Rules, programs and phone numbers change. Check with the office named on this page. Report outdated or wrong information.