- Yesterday, North Carolina Senate Republicans voted in favor of school choice by extending Opportunity Scholarships to lower-income families across the state. Although 71% of North Carolina voters support Opportunity Scholarships, nearly every Democrat Senator voted against the bill.
- Senate Bill 671 empowers low- and middle-income parents to have a choice in where their child attends school.
- The bill also increases the scholarship award amount from the current maximum of $4,200 annually to about $5,900 annually.
- State Senator Amy Galey (R-Alamance), a sponsor of the bill said, “School choice shouldn’t be a privilege reserved only for the wealthy. All children, regardless of their financial circumstances, deserve the opportunity to attend the school that’s best for them. The same activists who supported school closures and claim to care about ‘equity’ turn their backs on families searching for the school setting where their child would thrive. They oppose giving lower-income families the same access to educational choice that others enjoy.”
- Despite its popularity, Gov. Roy Cooper has continually tried to defund the program that provides scholarships to low- and middle-income families.
- The application window for Opportunity Scholarships is currently open. Families interested in applying for the grant can do so at www.ncseaa.edu/k12/opportunity/.
