Embattled HBCU Barber-Scotia wins 2023 tax dispute as it seeks a renaissance

A historic Concord college won a two-year property tax battle, furthering its efforts toward reaccreditation.

Barber-Scotia College is a Presbyterian, historically Black college founded northeast of Charlotte in 1867. It’s been fighting its way back from the brink for over 20 years, after losing its accreditation in 2004. In 2023, the school was down to four students, all enrolled online. In fall 2025, it reported 114 students enrolled and, for the first time, had a football team.

This week, the North Carolina Property Tax Commission ruled 14 contested parcels on the school’s campus qualified as being used for educational purposes and qualified for property tax exemption under North Carolina law, overturning a 2023 decision by the Cabarrus County Tax Assessor.

Previously, county tax officials ruled that much of the school’s campus didn’t qualify for tax-exempt status, because of how it was used. If the 2023 decision stood, it would leave the school with an estimated $127,000 property tax bill that year, based on 2022’s tax rate.

“This decision is an important affirmation of Barber-Scotia College’s mission, purpose and future,” College President Chris V. Rey said in a statement posted to the school’s Facebook page Jan. 12. “The commission clearly recognized that Barber-Scotia College remains, at its core, an educational institution committed to serving students and the broader community, even as we rebuild, restore and reimagine our campus.”

Leaders at the 23-acre campus launched a five-year strategic plan in 2022. One of its aims is to lay the groundwork for having the college’s full accreditation restored.

“This ruling provides financial relief, institutional clarity and renewed confidence as we continue our work to stabilize and strengthen Barber-Scotia College,” Rey said in his statement. “It allows us to redirect resources toward student success, workforce development, campus revitalization and long-term sustainability.”

This story was originally published January 19, 2026 at 5:00 AM.

Rebecca Noel

The Charlotte Observer

Rebecca Noel reports on education for The Charlotte Observer. She’s a native of Houston, Texas, and graduated from Rice University. She later received a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. When she’s not reporting, she enjoys reading, running and frequenting coffee shops around Charlotte.