June 7, 2025

[1]www.publicschoolsfirstnc.org
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Most Vouchers Going to Students Already in Private School

This week staff at the Department of Public Instruction presented [7]their
report on Opportunity Scholarship voucher use for 2024-25 to the State
Board of Education.

According to data they shared from the North Carolina State Education
Assistance Authority (administrators of the Opportunity Scholarship voucher
program) only 6,710 of the 80,325 students who received taxpayer-funded
private school tuition vouchers this school year had been enrolled in a
North Carolina public school last year.

In other words, 92% of ALL tuition vouchers used in 2024-25 went to
students who were already enrolled in private school, were newcomers to the
state, or were just starting school.

However, about 27K of the total 80K voucher recipients are returning
students who also received a voucher last year. A portion of those students
may have transferred out of public school the prior year. But if we look at
only new voucher recipients for 2024-25, a whopping 87% never attended a
North Carolina public school.

These data are similar to findings in other states where voucher access has
become universal. In [8]New Hampshire, 89% of new voucher recipients were
already in private school. In [9]Wisconsin, 77% were already in private
school. In [10]Arizona, 80% had never attended public school.

Reporting on the[11] $57 million in tuition payments to private schools in
Wake County this year highlighted that for some private school families,
the vouchers provide a welcome boost to their disposable income. Because
the state is now taking over a sizable chunk of their private school
tuition payment, they can afford to pay for more extracurricular activities
for their children and even “take more family vacations.”

In other words, North Carolina’s voucher program is essentially putting
extra money into the pockets of private school families. Lawmakers who
continue to vote for voucher funding are prioritizing private school
tuition payments for families that have never given public schools a chance
to educate their children.

Budget negotiations are happening now. Lawmakers could shift some of the
$731 million currently appropriated for vouchers in 2025-26 out of the
Opportunity Scholarship Fund and into K-12 Education where it should be.

Our public schools serve ALL students who enter their doors. They deserve
to be fully funded by our lawmakers.

Join Public Schools First NC and Public Ed Works this Summer!

Summer is almost here and school is out, but let’s not forget to celebrate
the great work of our public schools, our educators, students, and
supportive families!

In NC, the vast majority of our K-12 students are enrolled in public
schools. Throughout our state, there are about 2,700 public schools and
more than 1.5 million students!

Public Schools ARE Important! Public schools unite us – they bring students
together from diverse backgrounds, welcome all students, and give them an
opportunity to receive a quality education. They provide a strong economic
foundation for our local communities by preparing citizens who are equipped
to fully participate in society and in our nation’s democracy. High-quality
public schools bolster real-estate values and help businesses thrive.
Public schools are a HUGE PART of our communities.

WE ARE PROUD OF OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS! In 1868, our legislative leaders
affirmed that a free, sound, basic education is so important to the
well-being of our state’s social, cultural and economic well-being that
they included this right to education in our state constitution. North
Carolina gives its children a right to an education through both the state
constitution and state laws.

The North Carolina Constitution addresses a right to education in two
places: Article I and Article IX.
* [12]Article I, Section 15 says, “The people have a right to the
privilege of education, and it is the duty of the State to guard and
maintain that right.”
* [13]Article IX: Education has ten Sections. Several about
primary/secondary education are critical: Section 1 says “… the means of
education shall be forever encouraged,” Section 2 addresses the duty of the
state and local government to provide a uniform system of free public
schools “…wherein equal opportunities shall be provided for all
students,” and Sections 5, 6 and 7 reference “free public schools.”

State laws also make education a right in North Carolina. For example,
[14]N.C.G.S. 115-C1 states that “A general and uniform system of free
public schools shall be provided throughout the State, wherein equal
opportunities shall be provided for all students, in accordance with the
provisions of Article IX of the Constitution of North Carolina. Tuition
shall be free of charge to all children of the State, and to every person
of the State less than 21 years old, who has not completed a standard high
school course of study.”

Join Us In Celebrating Our Public Schools Together! Public Schools First NC
and Public Ed Works have teamed up to celebrate the valuable contributions
of educators and education advocates in our public schools and the
communities they serve throughout our state.

When it comes to educating our state’s children, Public Schools should be
funded First because our constitution requires it and because Public Ed
Works! Help us celebrate the many ways that public education is working in
our communities for our communities and students.. Tell us how your school
is making a difference and why your public school is AWESOME!

Email us at [email protected] or [email protected]
so we can share your pride!

Check Out Our NEW Spanish Videos!

We have two new videos in Spanish! They are translations of our
English-language videos titled "What is the School Privatization Playbook?"
and "The North Carolina Education Lottery." If you prefer Spanish-language
information or know someone who does, please share!

[15]video

[16]video

Legislative and SBE Updates

The NC House reconvenes Monday, June 9 at 1:00. The Senate reconvenes at
3:00 p.m.

Agendas, streaming information, and updated information are found on the
[17]legislative calendar.

See our [18]Week in Review for a summary of bills, bills that made
crossover, and key education bills to watch.

Help Stop Federal Private School Vouchers!

A huge tax cut for the wealthy in the form of a private school voucher tax
credit is in the U.S. House budget bill that narrowly passed the House and
is now being debated by the Senate.

The harmful voucher program basically functions as a tax shelter that
provides $5 BILLION per year for four years ($20 BILLION!) in
dollar-for-dollar tax credits for people who give money to organizations
that distribute vouchers. This voucher tax credit scheme preferences
donating to voucher programs because it pays out 100%, dollar-for dollar
tax credits. Most other charitable giving, such as donations to hospitals,
veterans’ assistance groups, homeless shelters, etc. returns no more than
35% of each dollar donated.

Currently, North Carolina does not have the type of voucher program
described by the federal bill, so it would add a NEW VOUCHER PROGRAM to the
current programs that already take hundreds of millions in tax dollars that
should be funding other state programs.

The federal program does not require voucher recipients to have ever
attended a public school (similar to current NC school voucher programs),
so the money will effectively shift tax revenue from the public sector to
private school families.

Don’t let federal lawmakers fund billions in private school vouchers
through tax credits while they make cuts to Medicaid, food aid for
low-income families (SNAP), federal education, environmental protections,
FEMA, and more.

Contact your federal lawmakers to voice your strong opposition to tax cuts
for our wealthiest citizens. Please call the offices of Ted Budd and Thom
Tillis! Then send an email to urge them to stop federal vouchers.

[19]Email U.S. Lawmakers!

Did You Know?

Charter Schools operate under looser standards than public schools. Unlike
private schools, charter schools must follow many of the regulations that
guide traditional public schools. But important regulations are waived for
charter schools, raising serious questions about their continued operation.
* Free and reduced lunch and transportation are not required .
* Teachers don't need specific credentials nor is professional
development required.
* Each school can decide their calendar and class sizes.
* They are not required to be governed by citizen-elected school boards.
* Their funding is not bound by competitive bidding requirements.

Read more at [20]North Carolina Charter Schools: Undermining Quality
Education for All.

In Case You Missed It

[21]Who got new NC private school vouchers? Not many from public schools,
data shows

[22]Departing NC Teacher of the Year challenges State Board, legislators to
do more for public schools

[23]Fifteen schools Selected to Launch $25 Million School Improvement
Initiative

[24]NC SUN Meals Programs Offer Free Food, Fitness, Farm to Summer, Fun for
Youth

[25]In Dozens of Districts, Teachers Can't Afford to Live Near Their
Schools

Invest in NC's Future: Support Pub Schools in the State Budget

By Ella Ridgway, education major at Western Carolina University

I am writing to urge lawmakers to increase funding for North Carolina
schools as they prepare the next state budget. My name is Ella Ridgway and
I am an education major at Western Carolina University. As someone who
attended an underfunded North Carolina public high school, I have seen
firsthand the effects of insufficient investment in public education.
Schools are not just places where children learn academic subjects; they
are the foundations for the next generation of leaders, professionals and
well-functioning citizens. I want to highlight three key reasons why
schools must receive more funding: they shape children, they serve as
mechanisms for social mobility and they contribute to society’s well-being.

First, schools provide more than just education; they shape children’s
social development. Schools offer a safe environment where children are
cared for while their parents work. For many families, schools are the only
place where they can leave their children with peace of mind. Beyond
safety, schools teach essential social skills such as cooperation, sharing
and conflict resolution. Children’s understanding of race, gender and
socioeconomic status is formed in school, and these experiences shape how
they view the world. If schools are underfunded, the safety and social
development of future generations could be compromised, affecting their
ability to contribute meaningfully to society as adults.

[26]READ MORE

Save the LUNCH Date!

Tuesday, June 10, noon - 1 p.m.

Join PSFNC and UNC law professor Barbara Fedders to discuss our latest
report, [27]North Carolina Charter Schools: Undermining Quality Education
for All.

We will discuss important findings in the report about problematic features
of charter schools in North Carolina: racial segregation, exclusionary
student discipline, the rate of school closures, and financial
mismanagement. There will be time for Q & A, so come ready to discuss!

[28]REGISTER HERE

Calling Western NC Educators!

Call for Participants: Oral History Project for WNC Educators Affected by
Hurricane Helene

Dr. Amelia Wheeler (Western Carolina University) and Dr. Morgan Tate
(University of Georgia) are launching a research project titled Beyond the
Storm: A Tribute to Appalachian Teachers and Their Stories. This oral
history project seeks to document the experiences of public school
educators in Western North Carolina who taught during and after Hurricane
Helene.

If you are a K–12 public school educator in the Appalachian region and were
working in a school impacted by Hurricane Helene, you may be eligible to
participate.

Participation includes:
* A one-hour, audio-recorded interview conducted at a location of your
choice in your community
* A $100 gift card as a thank-you
* Optional review of interview excerpts before public sharing or
publication
* A $75 contribution offered to your school district to offset substitute
costs (if the interview occurs during the school day)

Interviews will take place between May and September 2025. The project aims
to honor educators' stories and make visible the critical roles they play
during times of crisis.

Interested in participating? Want to know more?

Please Contact:
* Dr. Amelia Wheeler – [email protected]
* Dr. Morgan Tate – [email protected]

Request A Speaker!

Need a speaker for your next event or group meeting? PSFNC welcomes the
opportunity to speak to your group or organization on public
education-related topics.

We offer our programs virtually to improve accessibility and attendance and
therefore extend your reach. Our services are free of charge but may
require travel-related expenses if the program is in-person.

Email us at [email protected] for more information.

Words to Remember

"Be wary of oversimplified solutions to complex challenges. Invest not only
in outcomes, but in the conditions that produce them — teacher retention,
culturally relevant pedagogy, instructional materials that reflect diverse
experiences and perspectives and learning environments that allow our
students to feel safe, both physically and emotionally."

— Kimberly Jones, NC Teacher of the Year 2023-24

Help us support public schools!

Public Schools First NC is a statewide nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit
focused solely

on pre-K to 12 public education issues. We collaborate with parents,
teachers, business and civic leaders, and communities across North Carolina
to advocate for one unified system of public education that prepares each
child for productive citizenship.

[29]DONATE HERE

[30]www.publicschoolsfirstnc.org

Questions? Contact us today at [email protected]

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