South Raleigh News

With the new school year beginning in North Carolina, Republican lawmakers remain committed to allocating hundreds of millions more taxpayer dollars into vouchers for private schools. Despite more than 80% of school-aged children in North Carolina attending public schools daily, Republican legislators are compelling public schools, educators, and students to operate with reduced funding.

"Republican leaders in the General Assembly continue to hurt students by taking taxpayer money out of the public schools and giving it to private school vouchers," said Governor Roy Cooper. "As the new school year begins, it’s critical to fully fund public schools and raise teacher pay so that children receive the quality education required by our constitution."

Republican leaders of the House and Senate agreed to spend an additional $460 million on private school vouchers before pausing negotiations. These funds could otherwise be used to invest in public schools, including providing a substantial pay raise for teachers.

With the removal of the Opportunity Scholarship Program’s income cap, any family, regardless of income level or current private school enrollment status, can receive government-funded vouchers. These vouchers cover tuition for schools that are not obligated to:

- Report on student performance.

- Serve all students regardless of race, gender, socioeconomic status, or religious beliefs.

- Hire licensed teachers.

- Teach a curriculum based on state academic standards.

- Provide services for students with disabilities.

- Provide meals or transportation for students.

Additionally, many top private schools in the state do not accept state vouchers, limiting opportunities at these institutions. Participating schools often exclude certain students and frequently fail to meet key quality metrics.

Research from the Public School Forum of North Carolina found that among the 200 private schools receiving most funding from the Opportunity Scholarship program during the 2023-24 school year (collectively receiving 75% of all voucher funding), 89% had some form of discriminatory admissions process. Over one-third excluded students with disabilities and more than two-thirds had a religious requirement for attendance. Nine out of ten of these private schools have a religious affiliation and less than half were accredited.

North Carolina ranks near the bottom among states in K-12 funding, spending nearly $5,000 less per student than the national average. In terms of beginning teacher pay, North Carolina ranks 46th nationally and 11th out of 12 states in the Southeast.

In April, Governor Cooper released his recommended budget for FY 2024-2025 titled "Securing North Carolina’s Future," which proposes investing over $1 billion in public schools, raising teacher pay by 8.5%, and providing a $1,500 retention bonus for teachers across the board.

Governor Cooper declared 2024 as the Year of Public Schools and has been visiting public schools and early childhood education programs across the state advocating for investments in K-12 education, early childhood education, and teacher pay.

Read "The Year of Public Schools" proclamation here.

Read more about North Carolina's voucher program here.

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