Expanding Opportunity Scholarships is the Right Call

Poor kids deserve the same educational freedom as rich kids

S. 406 would provide scholarships for private school on an income-based scale

The desire to give a child a private education exists in families at all income levels. But until recently, only the well-to-do could act on that desire.

Opportunity Scholarships fix that basic unfairness. They’re taxpayer-funded grants that families can use to cover some or all of the tuition costs at a private K-12 school.

Two weeks ago, Sens. Michael Lee (R-New Hanover), Amy Galey (R-Alamance), and Lisa Barnes (R-Nash) introduced S. 406, “Choose Your School, Choose Your Future.”

The bill would increase the scholarship amount for families earning below a certain income level. It would also make Opportunity Scholarships available to all North Carolina families, with the maximum grant decreasing for families earning higher incomes.

We believe strongly that S. 406 is the right policy choice for North Carolina. In the coming weeks, we’re going to talk about it.

Why? First, because it’s the moral thing to do – it’s simply unfair for some children to have K-12 education options that other children do not.

Second, because studies show similar programs result in better outcomes for children.

And third, because arguments against Opportunity Scholarships are unsound. Some of the staunchest Opportunity Scholarship opponents themselves went to private school or sent their children to one.

They chose a private education because they had the desire and the means to do so. But they would deny that same education to other children because their parents don’t make enough money.

That’s wrong, and we’re going to talk about it.