Agreement Reached to Expand Funding for Crucial North Carolina School Choice Programs

Raleigh, NC (September 6, 2024) -- Mike Long, President of Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina, released the following statement in celebration of an agreed conference report that would fully fund the Opportunity Scholarship Program waitlist and add funds to the Education Student Accounts (ESA+) Program.

We are thrilled to see that an agreement has been reached between the House and Senate that would expand funding for North Carolina’s Opportunity Scholarship Program and Special Needs scholarship.

Last year, the General Assembly expanded eligibility for the Opportunity Scholarship Program and families submitted a record number of new applications, but a gap in funding meant 55,000+ were on the outside looking in to start this school year.

Families and students let their voices be heard, and the legislature is now poised to make good on a promise to expand the scholarship programs and send another clear message that in North Carolina we are committed to funding students over systems. We call on the House and Senate to pass this expansion with overwhelming support next week.

Parental school choice still has a lot to be thankful for in North Carolina, and while we have more work to be done, we know that we have come a long way in the last 10-years, and we look forward to more advancements in our state to prioritize students over systems.