North Carolina’s voucher program saved the state government over $10 million last school year, according to a new report from the NC Department of Public Instruction.
The report, presented to the NC State Board of Education on June 4, showed that 5,955 students attended a public school for the 2023-2024 school year but switched to a private school on the Opportunity Scholarship Program for the 2024-2025 school year. The total scholarship award amount for these students was around $34.3 million, while the average per-pupil allocation had they remained in public school would have amounted to $44.4 million, for a difference of around $10.1 million in state savings.
The report underscored this cost savings for the state, noting that Opportunity Scholarship amounts are generally lower than the average state per-pupil allocation for public schools. The report added the caveat that the program’s impact on public school funding is complex and varies based on timing, student characteristics, and district-specific factors.
State lawmakers have stated that any savings in state funds resulting from families choosing the Opportunity Scholarship program and leaving public schools, as outlined in the 2023 state budget, would be reinvested back into public schools.
Opportunity Scholarships, available to all K-12 students, are the state’s voucher program designed to enable families to choose a private education for their children.
Each scholarship is now valued at between $3,458 and $7,686 each year, spread across four income tier levels ranging from $59,478 for a family of four in the first tier, to more than $267,651 a year in the fourth tier.
Students in the lowest income tier receive first priority. The General Assembly has funded the program at $625 million for the 2025-2026 school year.
The Opportunity Scholarship Program has experienced recent rapid growth since state lawmakers in 2023 made the program universally available, regardless of household income. The program grew from 32,549 students during the 2023-2024 school year to 80,325 in 2024-2025.
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