NC high court: Superintendent can administer public schools

North Carolina's highest court says legislators can shift substantial control over public schools that educate 1.5 million students to the elected superintendent.

The state Supreme Court ruled Friday that the 2016 law allowing state schools Superintendent Mark Johnson to administer some education funds, oversee charter schools and hire senior-level aides does not violate the constitution. The decision means Johnson can manage day-to-day operations of the school system, subject to rules adopted by the statewide Board of Education.

The state constitution says the school board will "supervise and administer" public schools and the money to run them, while describing the superintendent only as the school board's "secretary and chief administrative officer."

The superintendent's seemingly lesser role has been the norm since North Carolina's post-Civil War constitution was adopted 150 years ago.