Incoming NC House Speaker Puts Private School Vouchers

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina’s private school voucher program, which grew sharply after lawmakers opened it to families of every income, is likely to face its toughest review in years once Democrats take over the state House in January.

Speaker-elect Robert Reives, a Chatham County Democrat, told reporters Tuesday that his office will look at scaling back Opportunity Scholarships as one way to save the state money. He said the vouchers will get the same budget scrutiny as every other taxpayer-funded program, and he called it absurd for families earning millions to receive state help with private tuition while public schools go underfunded. He also said he wants North Carolina to have the nation’s best schools, with investment that goes beyond teacher pay.

Any rollback would still have to clear the Senate. Republicans are on track for a 26-24 edge there once results are certified, though one GOP seat remains close; if it flips, the chamber would split evenly, with Democratic Lt. Gov. Rachel Hunt casting tie-breaking votes.

Republican lawmakers launched the program in 2014 to help low-income families pay private school tuition. In 2024, GOP majorities in both chambers removed the income cap, and that same year a separate bill cleared a waiting list of applicants with more than $500 million.

This fall, over 104,000 students are using the vouchers at a cost of $309 million for the semester, according to the State Educational Assistance Authority. Last school year, about 106,000 students received them at a cost of $589 million. Award amounts slide with family income: the lowest-income families get about $8,000, roughly what the state spends per public school student, while the highest earners get half that. A separate program for students with certain disabilities serves 6,500 students this fall.

Supporters argue the program gives parents more choices, with money that follows each child. Democrats and many educators counter that it pulls dollars away from public schools.

Filed under: Raleigh NC Education News