April 26, 2025

[1]www.publicschoolsfirstnc.org
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Tight Budget? Not for Vouchers

When the Senate budget proposal was released last week, the 1.25% teacher
salary increase it contained brought quick condemnation. Critics also
pointed out that the budget only increased K-12 spending by 1% over the
current year, and it built in an accelerated timeline for corporate and
income tax cuts that would decrease revenue in coming years.

However, because no changes were made to the appropriations
for taxpayer-funded private school vouchers that were legislated in
previous years’ budgets, the 8% increase for vouchers received little
attention. This increase was built in to ensure that all families who
applied for a voucher would receive one.

The major increases in voucher spending have occurred over the past few
years, with a huge boost in 2024 to align with the first year all families
of all income levels were eligible to receive a voucher.

Funding for voucher programs nearly tripled between 2023-24 and 2024-25,
and grew to more than $616 million in 2024-25 (see [7]North Carolina's
Voucher Expansion).

The 2025-26 base budget allocation is $731 million for voucher programs.

In 2024-25, for the first time families whose children already attended
private school could qualify for a voucher. [8]Data presented to a joint
meeting of the House and Senate Appropriations on Education committees on
March 6 revealed that statewide,42% of this year’s voucher recipients had
incomes too high to have been eligible for vouchers in previous years.

In 11 counties, 50% or more of this year's voucher recipients exceeded
previous family income levels to qualify for vouchers: Chatham, Davie,
Hyde, Johnston, Mecklenburg, New Hanover, Orange, Pitt, Union, and Wake.

In Chatham County, 72% of the voucher recipients this year are too wealthy
to have qualified in previous years and 28% earn more than $259,759/year.

In Wake County, 66% of the voucher recipients wouldn’t have qualified in
previous years. Even more striking, 27% are in the highest income tier
making $259,759/year or more, while only 15% are in the lowest-income tier
making $57,720/year or less.

When vouchers were launched in 2014-15, a primary argument in favor of
using taxpayer dollars to fund private school tuition was that the funds
would only go to low-income families.

Click [9]here to access an interactive map to see details for each county.



Public school districts across the state are struggling to decide which
staff or programs to cut in coming years or what school maintenance to
delay because the state has failed to increase public school funding to
address basic needs.

In contrast, private schools and the families sending their children to
private schools have benefited by the striking generosity of North
Carolina's legislative majority. The windfall has been especially large for
those in urban and suburban areas.

The budget has not yet been set for the coming years. [10]Now is the time
to contact your legislators[11] to urge them to shift funds out of voucher
programs and into public schools!

Yes, NC K-12 Public Schools Comply with Federal Laws

In early April, the U.S. Department of Education [12]sent letters to state
department of education leaders across the nation requiring them [13]to
certify that all schools receiving federal funds comply with the provisions
of federal antidiscrimination legislation.

Fortunately, North Carolina's new superintendent of public instruction is a
lawyer who has vast experience in public education. Mo Green knows that
public schools are already obligated to adhere to federal
antidiscrimination laws (unlike private schools). He signed and returned
the certification statement on the deadline, April 24.

However, Green also sent [14]a letter to Secretary McMahon questioning the
broad language around "DEI" in the U.S. Department of Education's letter
and reminding her that public schools already have to certify compliance
with federal law, so the added certification is redundant.

His letter clarified his point: "To the best of their knowledge, the NC
Department of Public Instruction and all local education agencies in North
Carolina assure the U.S. Department of Education that they comply with
Title VI. This assurance by NCDPI on behalf of itself and all local
education agencies in North Carolina is limited to those legal obligations
authorized by law."

Green closed his letter with a strong statement about our state's
commitment to public school students:

"In North Carolina, we remain committed to ensuring our public schools
provide environments free from discrimination based on race, color, or
national origin. We will continue working to ensure fairness, remove
barriers to opportunity, and make decisions based on merit and need. Public
education is about opening doors, not closing them. Every decision we
strive to make, whether about discipline, curriculum, hiring, or resource
allocation—is grounded in fairness, providing access to equal opportunity,
and is made in the best interests of all public school students. We look
forward to working with you and your colleagues at the U.S. Department of
Education to do the great and important work of educating the children in
our public schools."

Legislative and SBE Updates

The NCGA is adjourned until Monday, April 28. The crossover deadline is May
8, so there will be a lot of activity starting on Monday. For a bill to
become law, it must be passed through the chamber where it originated and
sent to the other chamber to achieve"crossover"

Check the [15]legislative calendar for daily updates.

Read our [16]Week in Review for a summary of legislative actions and the
status of bills.

The State Board of Education meets Tuesday, April 29 and Wednesday April 30
for a 2025 Planning and Work Session and Thursday, May 1 at 9:00 for its
official monthly meeting.

The agenda can be found [17]HERE. The work sessions and monthly meeting
will be [18]live streamed.

GOOD Bills

Don't forget to contact your legislators about bills you want them to
support. We have some strong public school advocates in the NCGA who are
working hard for our students, educators, and communities! Here are a few
we like a lot!

[19]Senate Bill 744 and House Bill 815 are twin bills titled Voucher School
Accountability Act. This bill would require private schools receiving
vouchers to adopt basic quality and accountability standards already in
place at all public schools. For example, private school staff would
finally be required to pass a criminal background check!

[20]House Bill 807 "Strong Public Schools for a Strong NC" has a number of
important provisions to help public schools. It raises teacher salaries,
provides more funding for students with disabilities, pays for breakfast
and lunch for all students, funds laptop replacements, and decreases
funding for vouchers. This bill has been referred to the [21]Rules,
Calendar, and Operations of the House Committee but has not yet been taken
up. Contact members to urge them to take up the bill. [22]Rep. Bell from
Wayne County is the committee chair.

[23]House Bill 121 " School Calendar Flex/Statewide/Open Calendar and
Senate Bill 103 "Make NC School Calendars Great Again" would both return
authority for setting school calendars to the local districts. This is long
overdue!

This is not a complete list! Check our [24]Week in Review for more bills
that you can get behind.ool

BAD Bills

Just as important, legislators should be urged to vote NO on harmful bills.

[25]House Bill 806 "Public School Operational Relief" harms public schools
in two ways. First, it removes the class size limit on K-3 classrooms,
leaving open the possibility for cash-strapped districts to pack
classrooms. Second, it drops the requirement for classrooms to be staffed
by certified teachers from 100% to 50%.

[26]House Bill 636 "Promoting Wholesome Content for Students" makes it
easier for community members to have books removed from school libraries.
The bill also allows community members to sue the district over library
book/media access and receive up to $5,000 in compensation. The [27]House
Education K-12 Committee is scheduled to discuss the bill on April 29.

[28]House Bill 171 "Equality in State Agencies/Prohibition on DEI"
Eliminates all diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in state and
local governments and imposes a penalty of up to $10,000 per violation for
a person who violates the provisions of the bill. It was scheduled to be
discussed by the full House, but was pulled from the calendar. It is now
back with the Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House Committee.

[29]Senate Bill 227 "Eliminating DEI in Public Education" prohibits
instruction to students on a list of divisive concepts. It also mandates
impartial instruction of historical oppression or other controversial
aspects of history. This bill passed through the Senate and is now moving
through the House.

This is not a complete list! Check our [30]Week in Review for more
concerning bills.

Do Lawmakers Want Our Kids to Be Less Educated?

By Dr. Charles R. Coble, former vice president of University-School
Programs UNC General Administration. This piece was first published in the
Raleigh N&O on April 17.

What if the so-called Public School Operational Relief bill introduced by
Republican members of the North Carolina House had instead been a Medical
Treatment Relief Bill that required only 50% of our doctors and nurses to
be licensed to practice? Would we feel assured that our health care would
be improved?

The Public School Operational Relief bill would allow 50%, rather than
100%, of our public school teachers to be licensed.

Any legislator paying attention to the research on teacher quality over the
last 30 years would know that the most impactful in-school factor on
student success is quality of the teacher. Only parents have a greater
overall impact on student success.

An informed North Carolina legislator seeking ways to improve student
performance would know that research confirms that students taught by
prepared and certified teachers consistently score higher on state and
national tests than students taught by non-certified, under certified or
emergency licensed teachers.

If they knew and understood this truth, wouldn’t they be proposing
legislation to strengthen teacher licensing to better assure that all
students are taught by fully licensed teachers rather than abandoning
teaching standards? [31]READ MORE

In Case You Missed It

[32]We must protect our youth: Wake, state leaders push gun safety program
"NC Safe for Schools"

[33]Rural resistance: County leaders question private school vouchers

[34]225 people with cancer and no investigation: A look at where things
stand with NC State's Poe Hall

[35]More NC students are earning workforce credits than ever before. Here's
why.

[36]What's next for Utah's school voucher program after judge declared it
unconstitutional? Here's what we know so far.

Let History Speak: Public Ed. and the NC Constitution

“No matter how hard a time period has been, North Carolinians have always
shown up to promote public education and democracy.“ - Ann McColl

MAY 8, 7:00 p.m. [37]REGISTER HERE

Join us for screening of "Let History Speak: How 1868, 1901, and 1956 Help
Us Find Our Voice Today," with the author and education law expert,
attorney Ann McColl. The film documents the establishment of public
education in North Carolina during the challenging times after the Civil
War. The 1868 North Carolina Constitutional Convention, held in Raleigh
from January 13 to March 17, resulted in a new state constitution ratified
in April 1868 which included the state’s establishment of a public school
system.

After the 50-minute screening, author Ann McColl will talk about how the
inclusion of a free public education for all children is enshrined in the
1868 NC Constitution. We will also discuss other critical events in North
Carolina in 1901 (the great campaign for public education) and 1956
(mandates of Brown vs Board of Education), and how they are relevant today.

There will be time for Q&A with Ann McColl! [38]REGISTER HERE

Book Event: Autism Our Loud!

An Evening with Dr. Adrian Wood: Conversation and Book Signing. Raleigh, NC

May 19, 2025 530 pm to 7pm

Join us for an evening with vlogger and author Dr. Adrian Wood, Tales of An
Educated Debutante.

Adrian will talk with us about her new book, Autism Out Loud: Life With A
Child On The Spectrum, From Diagnosis to Adulthood. Adrian’s “Tales of An
Educated Debutante” is her blog and “vlog” where she “offers personal
glimpses where satire meets truth, faith meets irony, despair meets joy and
this educated debutante escapes the laundry and finds true meaning in
graceful transparency.” With lots of humor and honesty, Adrian shares her
experiences as a mom of four and how her youngest child changed their
family for the better.

Your $50 ticket includes a signed copy of Autism Out Loud. Refreshments and
beverages included. Get your [39]Tickets HERE.

We’re excited to offer a limited number of FREE tickets to public school
educators. If you’re a teacher, please contact us at
[email protected] for details.

Words to Remember

"Public education is about opening doors, not closing them. Every decision
we strive to make, whether about discipline, curriculum, hiring, or
resource allocation—is grounded in fairness, providing access to equal
opportunity, and is made in the best interests of all public school
students."

— Mo Green, North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction

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.

[40]DONATE HERE

[41]www.publicschoolsfirstnc.org

Questions? Contact us today at [email protected]

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