FAQ

Does the Opportunity Scholarship siphon money from public schools?

Public schools are given the same amount per pupil, for each student in attendance. In North Carolina, public education spending totals $9,478.37 per pupil per year in 2018, with about 65% coming from the state, 11% from the federal government, and 24% locally. Comparatively, the Opportunity Scholarship is up to $4,200 per student, coming from the state's general fund. 

When the General Assembly was working on Education Finance Reform, Georgetown University's Dr. Marguerite Roza analyzed NC's public education system and presented several critical points to the legislative committee:

- There is no correlation between more spending and improved academic performance metrics, so giving schools allocations for students not in attendance is not only an undue burden on the tax-payer, it doesn't benefit students either, as demonstrated by the graph below. 

In addition, the argument--that any and all education spending should be controlled by traditional public schools--was addressed by the North Carolina Supreme Court in 2015. They ruled that the North Carolina legislature can use its general revenue fund to create educational programs outside the public-school system (Hart v. State of North Carolina et al). 

From the tax-payer's perspective, the up to $4,200 per student per year allocation for Opportunity Scholarship students that would otherwise be state expenditures of $6,153 per student per year if they were in the public school system, represents a savings of $1,953 per Opportunity Scholarship student. 

Most importantly, the parent's perspective; they chose that school, and they don't have to justify their reasons to the government.

 

UNUSED TEXT: 

The Opportunity Scholarship DOES NOT siphon money from public schools. Public schools are given the same per pupil expenditure for each student in attendance. 

Education spending is measured per-pupil. So how much money does the Opportunity Scholarship cost assigned district schools per pupil? In North Carolina, public education spending totals $9,478.37 per pupil per year in 2018, with about 65% coming from the state, 11% from the federal government, and 24% locally. Comparatively, the Opportunity Scholarship is up to $4,200 per student, coming from the state's general fund. So how much of this per pupil funding is "siphoned" from each pupil? 

Assigned district schools do not have a monopoly on public education. Fewer parents choosing to enroll their children at low-performing schools does not constitute "siphoning." The argument--that any and all education spending should be controlled by traditional public schools--was addressed by the North Carolina Supreme Court in 2015. They ruled that the North Carolina legislature can use its general revenue fund to create educational programs outside the public-school system (Hart v. State of North Carolina et al). 

From the tax-payer's perspective, the up to $4,200 per student per year allocation for Opportunity Scholarship students that would otherwise be state expenditures of $6,153 per student per year if they were in the public school system, represents a savings of $1,953 per Opportunity Scholarship student. 

How are Opportunity Scholarship schools unaccountable?
We often hear that private schools participating in our state-based scholarships are "unaccountable," but why? And to whom? 

Schools of parental choice are held accountable by the parents that choose them. 

Accountability means different things to different people. First and foremost, public education should be accountable to the students, and the educational quality they receive. This goes hand-in-hand with accountability to the students' parents, who want their children to receive a quality education in a welcoming, safe, environment. Costs, how the money is spent--and how efficiently--equates to accountability to tax-payers. 

 

Accountable to students/parents, quality education?

Since families have their own value systems around "quality education," accountability must first be derived from offering options that meet these values. Because offering more education options means increased accountability to parents, it also means assigned district schools have to be accountable to parents too, else parents will enroll their children elsewhere.

Surveying parent satisfaction and comparing standardized tests scores gives us metrics for accountability. For example, our 2018 survey of Opportunity Scholarship parents examines accountability to educational equality and school safety (among other things), with 97% of parents reporting being satisfied or very satisfied with their child's academic progress, and 99% reporting their child feels safe. Then, these education options must be accountable to quality, measured by education outcomes--like what percentage of their students go on to attend college, or how much they earn in the workforce--as well as standardized test scores. 

This accountability measure is already in place, through the legislature-mandated study comparing Opportunity Scholarship students and their public school counterparts. The most recent study from NC State University revealed the Opportunity Scholarship was associated with higher standardized test scores for students in their first and second years of participation in the program. Estimated impacts of the program on achievement were “positive” and “large,” researchers found. In year one of scholarship use, researchers found that scholarship students outperformed a matched group of public-school students in reading, math, and language.

 

Accountable to tax payers?

From a tax-payer's perspective, the goal is to offer quality education at the lowest price. Since "quality education" equates to options, we'll examine the costs for offering these options relative to their educational outcomes: The up to $4,200 per student per year allocation for Opportunity Scholarship students that would otherwise be state expenditures of $6,153 per student per year if they were in the public school system, represents a savings of $1,953 per student per year. In hand, with the savings of $1,953 per student, comes the improved educational outcomes exhibited by higher standardized test scores.   

 

Accountable to the Constitution?

The argument--that any and all education spending should be controlled by traditional public schools--was addressed by the North Carolina Supreme Court in 2015. They ruled that the North Carolina legislature can use its general revenue fund to create educational programs outside the public-school system (Hart v. State of North Carolina et al). 

Choice opponents argue The US Constitution "separates church and state," (those words are actually not in the US Constitution) and parental school choice gives public dollars to religious religious schools. However, the Opportunity Scholarship goes to parents, who then decide which school to enroll their children, so not allowing parents to choose a school that suits their religious values violates their constitutional right to "the free expression thereof."

In hand, the NC constitution includes "religion" with "morality" and "knowledge." Though the government shouldn't impose religion, it's a violation of our Bill of Rights to deny the education of our choosing. 

Financial and Administrative Accountability 

  • The scholarship programs are administered by the NC State Education Assistance Authority (Authority), having been established in 1965, and whose secretariat is provided by the University of North Carolina. 
  • Provide to the Authority a criminal background check conducted for the staff member with the highest decision-making authority to ensure that person has not been convicted of any crime. 
  • Provide to the Authority documentation for required tuition and fees charged to the student by the nonpublic school. A nonpublic school that accepts students receiving scholarship grants shall not require any additional fees based on the status of the student as a scholarship grant recipient. 
  • Contract with a certified public accountant to perform a financial review for each school year in which the school accepts students receiving more than $300,000 in scholarship grants. 

Academic Accountability 

  • Administer, at least once each school year, a nationally standardized test to all scholarship students enrolled in grades three through twelve which measures achievement in the areas of English grammar, reading, spelling, and mathematics.  
  • Provide to the parent or guardian of a scholarship student an annual written explanation of the student’s progress, including the student’s scores on standardized achievement tests. 
  • A nonpublic school enrolling more than 25 scholarship students shall report to the Authority the aggregate standardized test performance of those students which shall be public record. 
  • Provide to the Authority the graduation rates of the students receiving scholarship grants in a manner consistent with nationally recognized standards. 

Comparative Analysis and Reporting Mandate for the Opportunity Scholarship Program 

  • The Authority shall report annually to the NC General Assembly’s Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee and shall be conducted by an independent research organization (public or private entity or university).  
  • The findings shall prompt an analysis of the learning gains and losses of Opportunity Scholarship students compared public school students with similar socioeconomic backgrounds, using aggregate standardized test performance data provided by the nonpublic school and by the NC Department of Public Instruction. 
  • Furthermore, the analysis will report on the impact of the availability of scholarship grants on public school performance on standardized tests by local school administrative units to the extent possible, and shall provide comparisons of the impact by geographic region and between rural and urban local school administrative units. 
  • The Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee shall make ongoing recommendations to the NC General Assembly regarding improving administration and accountability for nonpublic schools accepting Opportunity Scholarship students.  

Anti-Discrimination Safeguard 

  • A nonpublic school shall not discriminate with respect to race, color, or national origin, in accordance with The Civil Rights Act. 

Is school choice racist/discriminate?
Are charter schools or state-based scholarships "re-segregating?" School choice equates to zip code and wealth desegregation.    In 1954, the US Supreme Court Case, Brown v. Board of Education, racially desegregated district schools by ruling that separate schools for black and white students was unconstitutional. And yet, schools are still segregated—not necessarily by race (though often it seems)—but certainly by zip code, and zip codes segregate according to wealth. School choice initiatives like public charter school options and the Opportunity Scholarship give low-income and working class families access to their school of choice, breaking free of the zip code and wealth segregation. The most recent US Census statistics states that 22% of North Carolinians are black or African-Americans. 29% of 2018-19 Opportunity Scholarship recipients identify as black or African American—a larger representative population—suggesting that not only does parental school choice NOT re-segregate, it’s the best means to close the achievement gap.   Also, assigned school funding is tied to local property taxes. As such, schools in predominantly African-American neighborhoods receive less funding than their white counterparts, and are thus unable to provide kids in the community a quality education. Without access to quality education, minority black families are socioeconomically disinclined towards poverty, and the cycle continues. School segregation by zip code is enough to continue racial segregation, year after year.

 

 

Is school choice constitutional?
We know the NC Supreme Court ruled the Opportunity Scholarship constitutional. But what about school choice in general?  

Short Answer: 

Public money does not go to private schools. It goes to parents to choose a school. 

 

In 2015 the NC Supreme Court ruled specifically on our Opportunity Scholarship, that the North Carolina legislature can use its general revenue fund to create educational programs outside the public-school system (Hart v. State of North Carolina et al). How does the concept of school choice measure up to constitutional scrutiny?

Separation of Church and State vs. Right to Religious Assembly

The phrase "separation of church and state" isn't actually in the constitution--state or federal. It simply describes a part of the first first amendment , which says "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." While the government can't have a formal relationship with a given religious institution, it also can't inhibit its citizens to practice the religion of their choosing. But in North Carolina--only affluent families could afford to exercise their constitutional right to religious assembly by sending their children to religious schools (private schools). Opportunity Scholarships provides a measure of equality for low-income families to also exercise religious assembly.

The idea that the Opportunity Scholarship Program gives public dollars to religious organizations would constitute a formal relationship between church and state—but its parents who determine where this money is spent; citizens exercising their right to assemble. In fact, giving parents the means to determine the education of their own children constitutes a check-and-balance on the powers of government. Should government impose educational values, or should it be founded on the will of the people—in this case—parents?

 

The section of the North Carolina State Constitution dedicated to education, opens with “religion, morality, and knowledge” as the foundational values for which education is encouraged in our state. In a capitalist society, “means” is money. The root of the argument is whether to give families the “means” to determine education that results in mankind's "happiness" and "good government", or giving government the “means” to impose an education that the government deems necessary for “good government,” and your "happiness."

 

The argument that educational options result in differing educational quality from school to school, in defiance of Article IX, Sec. 2 of the NC Constitution, citing “uniformity,” students in poor areas will tell you their school’s academic quality differs from students in other zip codes. In the same section, the use of the word “opportunities” is multiple, implying choice. 

How does the Opportunity Scholarship Program have both a surplus and a waitlist?
There are unspent funds, or a surplus, allocated for Opportunity Scholarships. How is this possible if there's also a waitlist?

Short Answer: 

Alongside the 40% cap on K-1 students, parents face other obstacles.

Recently, legislators are claiming that “Every family who wants a scholarship can get one.” However, there is a statutory 40% cap for K-1 (kindergarten and 1st grade) students, meaning that K-1 scholarships cannot exceed 40% of scholarship funds.

There were 520 students on the wait list for the 2018-19 school year and all of them were K-1 students. While there were still scholarship funds available, scholarships could not be offered to those students because the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA) determined that the 40% cap had been met.

What often happens with families who have applied for a scholarship for more than one child, when older children are offered a scholarship, but their kindergarten or 1st grade child is on the wait list, they decline the other scholarships so that the children will not be split up. When a kindergarten or 1st grade student does not receive a scholarship, but their older siblings are already in a private school with a scholarship, the family may choose to remove the older child from the school and surrender their scholarship. These scenarios are clearly problematic for families, but they also impact the full use of scholarship funds.

Finally, since its inception the Opportunity Scholarship Program and those who benefit from the program have been under constant attack – injunctions, lawsuits, uncertain funding - parents don't want to risk enrolling their children just to be forced to leave. 

Are charter schools public schools?

Both federal and state law define charter schools as public schools. They are held to the same student academic standards that all public schools are required to meet in addition to being:

  • Tuition free and open to all students
  • Nonsectarian and do not discriminate on any basis
  • Publicly funded by local, state and federal tax dollars based on enrollment

Do public charter schools cream "cherry pick" the best students from traditional public schools?

No. Pubic charter schools are required to enroll any child who is eligible for public school and living in the state of North Carolina as long as there are available seats. Students are enrolled through lottery processes that cannot discriminate against any child’s academic ability or race.

Do public charter schools enroll children from underserved families?

Yes. In North Carolina, public charter schools enroll a higher percentage of African American students than traditional public schools. The percentage of students from low-income families is not accurate because many public charter schools do not request this information as they serve all children equally. According to Center for Education Workforce (2016), nationwide, public charter schools serve a higher percentage of students of color and low-income children than their district-run counterparts.

Do public charter schools underperform compared to traditional public schools?
[2016 Charter Myth Document] Overall, 66.7% of public charter school students were deemed proficient (Level 3, 4 or 5) according to their end-of-grade assessments compared to 56% of their district-run counterparts. Diving deeper, public charter school students pass 19% more of their tests than public traditional school students. With the criteria for Career/College Level (EOG scores of 4 or 5), public charter students pass 22% more of their tests than traditional public school students.   Additionally, North Carolina’s public charter schools outperform traditional public schools in the areas of: Student graduation rates AMO targets (subgroups) Academic proficiency ACT percentages 11% of public charter schools received an A on the report card (compared to 5% of traditional schools) 29% of public charter schools received a B on their report card (compared to 23% of traditional schools)     (graduation rates) Subgroup Denominator Percent All Students 120079 86.3 Male 61374 83.2 Female 58705 89.6 American Indian 1641 84.4 Asian 3404 93.4 Black 31747 83.2 Hispanic 17504 79.9 Two or More Races 4356 84.1 White 61271 89.6 Economically Disadvantaged 43880 80.3 English Learner 6835 68.4 Students With Disabilities 14818 69.1 Academically Gifted 19739 >95 https://nccppr.org/charter-schools-in-north-carolina-an-overview/ http://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/reporting/ https://www.slideshare.net/educationnc/attachmentaspx-5?ref=https://www.ednc.org/2019/01/21/school-choice-continues-to-thrive-in-north-carolina/

2017-18 Figures:

Overall, 57% of public charter schools were above 60% Grade Level Proficient (Level 3, 4 or 5), compared to 44% of their district-run counterparts. 35% of public charter schools were deemed Career/College Level compared to 22% of traditional public schools, according to the criteria for Career/College Level (60% of students have EOG scores of 4 or 5)

  • 8.7% of public charter schools received an A on the report card (compared to 6.9% of traditional schools)
  • 31.8% of public charter schools received a B on their report card (compared to 26.8% of traditional schools)
  • The number and percentage of charter schools earning Ds and Fs decreased for the fifth consecutive year
  • The number of charter schools exceeding growth increased from 36 in 2016-17 to 46 in 2017-18, a 27.2% increase (compared to 26.7% of traditional schools)

Do public charter schools provide lunch for students?

Yes. All public charter schools have a plan for providing lunch to children. Currently, over 35% of public charter schools participate in the Federal lunch program. Many schools provide lunch programs for all students; however, due to the enormous back office requirements, public charter schools utilize other methods to ensure all children receive a healthy meal. This percentage could be higher if these schools received the “indirect costs” that traditional public schools receive for back office and administrative support. 

Do public charter schools provide transportation for students?

Despite over half a billion dollars being spent in North Carolina every year on public school transportation, there is NO law that requires any public school system to provide transportation. In 2015, 42% of public charter schools provided busing. This number has increased annually since the elimination of the public charter school cap. As a result, many schools provide gift cards, pay for private transportation or provide bus passes to ensure transportation is not a barrier.

Side note: Last year, Wake County transported a little over 70,000 students – about 45% of their population – and spent over $19 million. Since public charter schools serve more than one county, this cost would be overwhelming due to their already stretched operational budget.

Are public charter schools held accountable?

Yes. Public charter schools introduced an unprecedented level of accountability into public education. If a public charter school is deemed Low Performing by the state (D or F without exceeding academic growth) in 2 out of every 3 years, it may be recommended to be closed by the State Board of Education. In addition, each school undergoes an annual fiscal audit. This can also cause the public charter school to be in noncompliance and eventually close. Furthermore, being public schools, they must operate within all federal, state and local laws, abiding by health, safety and civil rights laws, as well as business regulations and public body rules.

Are public charter schools incubators of innovation?

: In the majority of public charter schools, leaders are finding ways to achieve more with less funding and access to resources, smaller staffs and no capital funding. Multiple public charter schools in North Carolina are nationally recognized for their academic, operations and community-based programming. 

Side note: North Carolina’s very own Raleigh Charter High School earned honors as the top school in North Carolina on The Washington Post’s 2016 list of “America’s Most Challenging High Schools.” The list looked at approximately 22,000 high schools around the country, ranking them based on the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Advanced International Certificate of Education tests given divided by the number of graduates.

Are public charter schools "white flight" schools?
No. Almost one-third of all public charter schools are led by persons of color. This figure is smaller when compared to the most recent census of all traditional public schools in 2006-2007. At that time, there were over 2,300 principals in North Carolina of which 8.5% were black men, 15% were black women and less than 1% were Hispanic. EDIT: 2018-19 SY Traditional public school principals  72.7% white, 25.2% black, 2.8% other Charter school principals are 65.6% white, 31.7% black, 5.8% other http://apps.schools.nc.gov/ords/f?p=145:21:::NO:::  

Almost one-third of all public charter schools are led by persons of color. According to DPI data for the 2018-19 school year, 31.7% of public charter school principals identify as black, compared to 25.2% in traditional public schools. 

According to the latest annual report from the Office of Charter Schools, over 45% of the total public charter student population identifies as students of color. 

 

 

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