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. |
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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 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. 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 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. Now is the time to contact your legislators to urge them to shift funds out of voucher programs and into public schools! |
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Yes, NC K-12 Public Schools Comply with Federal Laws |
In early April, the U.S. Department of Education sent letters to state department of education leaders across the nation requiring them 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 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." |
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Legislative and SBE Updates |
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| 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 legislative calendar for daily updates. Read our 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 HERE. The work sessions and monthly meeting will be live streamed. |
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| 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! 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! 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 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. Rep. Bell from Wayne County is the committee chair. 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 Week in Review for more bills that you can get behind.ool |
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| Just as important, legislators should be urged to vote NO on harmful bills. 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%. 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 House Education K-12 Committee is scheduled to discuss the bill on April 29. 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. 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 Week in Review for more concerning bills. |
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Do Lawmakers Want Our Kids to Be Less Educated? |
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| 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? READ MORE |
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Let History Speak: Public Ed. and the NC Constitution |
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| “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. 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! REGISTER HERE |
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Book Event: Autism Our Loud! |
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| 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 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. |
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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 |
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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. |
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