July 12, 2025

[1]www.publicschoolsfirstnc.org
[2]Facebook [3]Instagram [4]YouTube [5]LinkedIn [6]TikTok

NC Pre-K Funding Stagnant and Insufficient

Research continues to highlight concerns that [7]North Carolina's NC Pre-K
program is experiencing increased costs with no increases in
reimbursements. Insufficient funding is impacting access and quality.

North Carolina has a nationally recognized pre-K program for four-year-old
children—[8]NC Pre-K (formerly More at Four). The program has been
researched extensively, including[9] a report released last year from the
Duke Center for Child & Family Policy. Their report shows that when more
eligible students attend NC Pre-K programs, the elementary school that
enrolls them the following year also benefits. Learning environments
improve along with teacher and principal retention.

The NC Pre-K program is provided through public schools, Head Start
programs, and both nonprofit and private childcare centers. The NC Pre-K
program requirements are designed to ensure that participating children
receive a high-quality program in every local program throughout the state.
For example, all NC Pre-K programs are required to have a 1:10 staff/child
ratio.

In its [10]State of Preschool 2024 report, the National Institute for Early
Education Research (NIEER) reported that North Carolina [11]met 9 of 10
benchmarks on its Quality Standards Checklist.

Yet despite the clear benefits and documented high quality, in 2024
[12]only 57% of eligible 4-year-olds in North Carolina attended an NC Pre-K
program. The state has a goal of enrolling at least 75% of its eligible
students by 2030.

However, cuts to federal programs (e.g. [13]Head Start) and insufficient
state funding are eroding the chances for NC Pre-K expansion. Childcare
programs across the state [14]have closed due to the end of pandemic-era
funding boosts. Just last month, North Carolina’s child care task force
warned of an [15]early education crisis and encouraged lawmakers to
increase subsidies.

Local communities are responding. Just this week, the school board in
[16]New Hanover responded to public outcry over the planned closing of a
pre-K program (due to budget cuts) and rolled back the move.

How will our state legislators respond? This week North Carolina was in the
news for its [17]top ranking for business. CNBC noted the state’s strong
workforce and economy as primary factors in the ranking.

Ensuring access to a high-quality pre-K program such as NC Pre-K is one of
the best investments our lawmakers can make in the state’s future economic
growth.

Read more: [18]The Facts about Pre-K in North Carolina

Watch our short video about NC Pre-K in English or Spanish (or both!)

[19]video

[20]video

New Report!

Public Schools First NC has released a new report: NC School Vouchers—Using
Tax Dollars to Discriminate Against Students & Families!

As recent reporting highlights," North Carolina now subsidizes the tuition
cost for the majority of private school students." In the 2024-25 school
year, the state private K-12 tuition subsidy topped [21]$432 million as
public schools contend with cutting current budgets, federal U.S.
Department of Education funding freezes, and looming cuts resulting from
the federal budget just signed into law.

These voucher programs require virtually no accountability for how the
funds are spent, whether the schools provide adequate instructional
programs, or whether they discriminate against types of students or their
families. As a result, taxpayers are left without even the most rudimentary
understanding of the private schools benefiting from unprecedented
generosity of majority lawmakers in the NC General Assembly.

Our new report uncovers hundreds of examples of how voucher-accepting
private schools screen applicants to secure their desired student
population. Unlike public schools that accept all students, many private
schools employ discriminatory practices to select only students who conform
to their religious beliefs or don’t pose instructional or behavioral
challenges.

Below are a few examples of the discriminatory policies of
voucher-accepting private schools. These represent a broad array of
policies. Read the report and appendix for more. The report contains links
to the cited policies.

"FCS will not admit families that belong to or express faith in religions
that deny the absolute Deity/Trinity of Jesus Christ as the one and only
Savior and path to salvation." — Fayetteville Christian School,
Fayetteville (Received $3,674,927 in taxpayer-funded tuition vouchers in
2024-25.)

“Cape Fear Christian Academy is a private educational institution and
therefore has no federal mandate to provide special education and related
services to disabled students. The Academy requires that students continue
to work on grade level in order to remain eligible for continuing
enrollment at the Academy. Public schools are subject to the mandates of
the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act" (IDEA) and can provide
such programs and services.”— Cape Fear Christian Academy, Erwin (Received
$1,460,128 in taxpayer-funded tuition vouchers in 2024-25).

“On those occasions in which the atmosphere or conduct within a particular
home is counter to or in opposition to the biblical lifestyle the school
teaches, the school reserves the right, within its sole discretion, to
refuse admission of an applicant or to discontinue enrollment of a student.
This includes, but is not necessarily limited to, living in, condoning, or
supporting sexual immorality; homosexual acts or sexual orientation;
promoting such practices; or otherwise the inability to support the moral
principles of the school.” — Millersville Christian Academy, Taylorsville
(Received $1,459,447 in taxpayer-funded tuition vouchers in 2024-25.)

“Acceptance Policy: Students must score on grade level and complete the
application process to be eligible for enrollment. Generally, stanine
scores must be in the 4 or higher range in reading and math. Students with
IQs of 90 or less are not accepted because of the difficulty they will have
being successful in our academic program. NRCA does not enroll students
whose learning, behavioral, or physical needs cannot be met by our existing
programs, services, or staff. IEPs are not available at NRCA.” — North
Raleigh Christian Academy, Raleigh (Received $4,319,985 in taxpayer-funded
tuition vouchers in 2024-25.)

The report includes recommendations lawmakers could quickly pass to
prohibit private school discrimination for any school that accepts state
funding.

[22]Read the Report!

Legislative and SBE Updates

Both the House and Senate convene on Monday, July 14, but no other meetings
are scheduled on the [23]legislative calendar for the week. The next
meeting is scheduled for July 24.

With no state budget in place and looming federal budget cuts, state
lawmakers have many issues to address when they return to Raleigh.

Did You Know?

At least 21 schools that received more than $100,000 in taxpayer-funded
tuition vouchers in 2024-25 provide no public information about their
school other than a possible Facebook page?

Together, those 21 schools received more than $6 MILLION from the state in
2024-25.

If you care about how tax dollars are spent, contact your legislators to
demand legislation requiring full transparency from voucher-accepting
private schools.

[24]Read more in our report.

Big, Beautiful Monstrosity and a Call to Action

A recent episode of the [25]Integrated Schools Podcast points out some of
the effects of the recent federal budget bill - now law. The podcast is
short and well worth a listen!

From the podcast: This bill hurts everyone, and of course as it is always
the case, the most vulnerable bear the heaviest burden.

I think what's received far less attention is the national voucher program
built into this bill. A quiet but deadly blow to our public education
system. We know how voucher programs play out, right? We've seen it in
states across the country. They siphon public resources away from public
schools so that the already privileged can spend less money on private
school tuition, all while increasing segregation, which has been the point
of vouchers nearly since they were conceived.

[26]Listen to the full podcast.

In Case You Missed It

[27]A work requirement for state legislators?

[28]NC Governor vetoes another set of bills, including one on guns in
private schools

[29]North Carolina child care task force warns of "early education crisis,'
urges increased subsidies

[30]School board approves funding to save pre-K for now, avoids Howe
closure

[31]Wake schools issues another 90-day hiring freeze in response to Trump
admin federal funding pause

[32]Forsyth school board votes to ask county commissioners for $8.5 million

[33]Medicaid Cuts in Trump Tax Bill Spark Fears for Child Health, School
Services

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

"Unless our children begin to learn together, there's little hope that our
people will learn to live together and understand each other."

— Thurgood Marshall, Milken v Bradley dissent, 1974

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.

[34]DONATE HERE

[35]www.publicschoolsfirstnc.org

Questions? Contact us today at [email protected]

References

1. [link removed]
2. [link removed]
3. [link removed]
4. [link removed]
5. [link removed]
6. [link removed]
7. [link removed]
8. [link removed]
9. [link removed]
10. [link removed]
11. [link removed]
12. [link removed]
13. [link removed]
14. [link removed]
15. [link removed]
16. [link removed]
17. [link removed]
18. [link removed]
19. [link removed]
20. [link removed]
21. [link removed]
22. [link removed]
23. [link removed]
24. [link removed]
25. [link removed]
26. [link removed]
27. [link removed]
28. [link removed]
29. [link removed]
30. [link removed]
31. [link removed]
32. [link removed]
33. [link removed] 74 Million Newsletter&utm_campaign=f195bc0ec6-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2022_07_27_07_47_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_077b986842-f195bc0ec6-177060812
34. [link removed]
35. [link removed]
Unsubscribe:
[link removed]
This message was sent to [email protected] from [email protected]

Public Schools First NC
PO Box 37832
Raleigh, NC 27627
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

iContact - Engage, WOW, and grow your audience: [link removed]