NC Republicans make final push to fully fund school choice

The North Carolina Legislature is making one final push to fully fund school choice before Republicans lose their supermajority.

North Carolina’s wildly popular Opportunity Scholarships program, which launched in 2014, became universally eligible this fall. However, the state didn’t allocate enough funds to approve all of the 72,000 applications it received.  

For this reason Republican legislators passed HB 10 to provide nearly $250 million of additional funding to eliminate the waitlist.  

But Democrat Gov. Roy Cooper – a staunch opponent of school choice – vetoed it, claiming it would be used by “wealthy families,” even though Opportunity Scholarships prioritize low-income families and prorate scholarship amounts based on income.  

Now, Republicans want to make one final push to override Cooper’s veto. 

“It’s time for us to go ahead and pass this to help those students get out and be able to afford the education they deserve,” Rep. David Willis, R-Union County, told WCNC Charlotte. “Those tax dollars that those families pay each and every year should follow that student and allow the parents to choose the best school, the best educational setting for each child.  

“We will continue to fight and work for our public school system, because I think we have a good system overall, but that doesn’t always fit the needs of every child.” 

But the clock is ticking as the recent election tipped the scales of power in North Carolina.  

After the vote, Republicans gained one seat in the state Senate but lost one in the House, so when new members take office in January, Republicans will hold 59% of House seats – one vote shy of a supermajority.  

In North Carolina, veto overrides require a three-fifths (60%) majority of members present and voting.  

Even if Republicans can’t override Cooper’s veto, hope is not lost for NC students.  

Opportunity Scholarship’s budget can currently increase up to $15 million annually, making room for thousands more students as the program ages.