Limited number of private school vouchers will go to current voucher holders, lowest income applicants

But more than 13,000 new low-income families might, if they accept their Opportunity Scholarship offers by April 19.

While the North Carolina General Assembly’s most recent budget removed income limits for voucher eligibility next year — and made current private school students eligible for a first-time voucher — lawmakers saved their biggest budget increases for the program for a bit further down the road.

Exactly how much money is available for vouchers — called Opportunity Scholarships — next year is unclear, because only some of the funding for the program is listed in the state budget, but it’s at least $200 million, up from $134 million last school year. In two years, it will go well above $400 million. Officials with the North Carolina State Educational Assistance Authority haven’t provided the funding amount for next year in response to a request from WRAL News.

While current voucher-holders and lowest-income families will receive vouchers for next year, the Authority says not all of those second-tier applicants will be able to get vouchers. No one in higher-income tiers will receive one. Families in the second tier will learn whether they’ve received a voucher in May, after all of the lowest-income families have had a chance to accept to decline their voucher offer.

It’s unclear how many of the new Opportunity Scholarship applicants are already attending private schools.

This year, 32,511 students have a voucher. It’s unclear how many of them applied for one next year.

Lawmakers will consider whether to increase funding for Opportunity Scholarships next year, “just like any other budget item,” said Lauren Horsch, spokeswoman for Sen. Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, the Senate leader.