Report finds despite vouchers being “universal,” private schools continue to not be accessible to all students and after the expansion of the OSP, voucher recipients are less diverse. (File photo).
RALEIGH — The Public School Forum of North Carolina has released a report exploring access, affordability and accountability in relation to the Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP), North Carolina’s taxpayer-funded private school voucher program which was expanded in late 2023 to offer vouchers to all students, regardless of their family’s income or whether they had previously attended a public school. The report also explores the history of voucher programs in the United States following the Brown. V. Board of Education decision and the Forum’s policy recommendations for rectifying the OSP.
Major findings from the report include:
• Despite vouchers being “universal,” private schools continue to not be accessible to all students.
• After the expansion of the OSP, voucher recipients are less diverse.
• Voucher-receiving schools are not accountable to the public despite receiving public funds.
“Our findings make clear that North Carolina’s universal voucher program is far from universal in practice. With few regulations or accountability measures, private schools receiving taxpayer dollars can choose which students they serve and raise tuition above and beyond the amount of the vouchers, all while the public and prospective parents have no reliable information about the extent to which these schools are providing an adequate education to their students,” said Sr. Manager of Policy & Research Elizabeth Paul. “Our local public schools, on the other hand, serve all children and are facing unprecedented budget shortfalls while the state continues to ignore its constitutional obligation to fully fund our public schools.”
Policy recommendations:
• Fully fund public schools before allocating taxpayer dollars to private schools.
• End school discriminations.
• Increase accountability and reporting requirements for participating private schools.
To view the full report and learn more about the taxpayer-funded private school vouchers, visit ncforum.org/vouchers.
About the Public School Forum of North Carolina
Since our founding in 1985 as a nonpartisan “think and do tank,” the Public School Forum of North Carolina has been a champion of better schools and one of the most trusted sources in the state for research and analysis on vital education issues. In order to provide meaningful action on our state’s most important public education issues, we bring together leaders from business, education and government to study education issues, develop ideas, and ultimately inform and shape education policy. We do this through research, policy work, innovative programs, advocacy, and continuing education for educators and policymakers. Follow us on social media at @theNCForum and visit our website at http://www.ncforum.org/