Dear Friend,

As you know, the legislature has failed to reach an agreement on fully funding the 58,000+ students left unfunded by the Opportunity Scholarship, despite legislators' statements that they would ensure we had universal school choice in North Carolina.

Last fall, the legislature passed a so-called expansion to the Opportunity Scholarship by making the scholarship available to all income brackets as well as removed other requirements to qualify for the scholarship, such as an age-related requirement and prior public school attendance requirement. By removing these requirements, a record-breaking 72,000 new students applied for the scholarship, leaving 58,000+ unfunded.

The NC House and Senate both have made statements that they desire to see the students funded. The Senate sent the House a bill in May to clear the list (HB 823), but the House has chosen not to take the legislation to a vote on the floor. Instead, the House has added the needed funding to their budget and tied it to $300 million in earmarks.

A group of concerned parents, unaffiliated with NC Values or any other organization, have come together to hold a rally and press conference on July 31 at 10 a.m. on the Halifax Mall. The House and Senate will be in session that day, and the goal is to encourage the two chambers to pass legislation that will fully fund all the students left out of the Universal Opportunity Scholarship, because there is not enough money appropriated to fund the waitlist.

If you are one of the many parents whose children are on the waitlist for Opportunity Scholarship funding, would you consider joining them on July 31st for the rally?

WHAT: Parents with Students Waitlisted for the Opportunity Scholarship Rally/Press Conference

WHEN: July 31, 10 a.m.

WHERE: Halifax Mall, 300 N. Salisbury St., Raleigh, NC

WHY: To urge the legislature to fully fund the Opportunity Scholarship before the clock runs out

HOW: RSVP by texting 252-299-2326. For more information, visit https://keepyourpromise.substack.com/.

☎️ If you are not such a parent, or cannot attend in person, but would still like to help these families out, would you consider taking a couple minutes to use the click-to-call tool below? Even if you've already emailed your representatives, we're calling on supporters who are able to use this updated tool to easily call their legislators and ask them to support funding the Opportunity Scholarship.

Sincerely,

Tami & Team
NC Values