More Educational Options for Families? | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's Note: This post appears here courtesy of the John Locke Foundation. The author of this post is Dr. Robert Luebke.

    School choice continues to expand across the fruited plain, providing more educational options for families. In recent weeks Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, and Utah, approved statewide education savings account programs. Here in North Carolina, the legislature recently introduced a bill to significantly expand eligibility for the state's existing education savings account program. Also yesterday, Senators Michael Lee, Amy Galey, and Lisa Barnes introduced SB 406, the bill expands the Opportunity Scholarship Program and also calls for the creation of an early graduate scholarship program.

    SB 406 would remove the income requirements from the Opportunity Scholarship Program and make awards based on a sliding income scale. The larger awards would go to the families most in need.

    Briefly, families who earn up to $55,000 annually would receive an award equal to 100 percent of the state's per pupil expenditure in the previous year, about $7,200. Families who earn between 100 and 200 percent of the amount to be eligible for Federal Free and Reduced Lunch would receive 90 percent of the state's per pupil expenditure in the previous year. Likewise, families whose incomes are between 200 and 450 percent of that amount, would receive 60 percent of the state's per pupil expenditure. And families whose income is 450 percent and above of that amount would receive an award equal to 45 percent of the state's per pupil expenditure.

    Also included with the legislation, is a course sequence to allow students at traditional public and charter schools to complete credits for graduation in three years. Early graduates who attend a UNC institution, community college or eligible institution would be eligible to receive a graduate scholarship for up to two academic semesters. The amount of the scholarship would be based on the availability of funds and by the State Education Assistance Authority.

    With over 25,000 recipients, the Opportunity Scholarship Program is North Carolina's largest school choice program. In 2022-23 the program awarded $131.9 million in scholarship assistance.