H823 expands access to school-choice opportunity scholarships by removing the public-school enrollment requirement and allowing eligibility based solely on state residency. Scholarship amounts range from 45% to 100% of average per-student funding, depending on household income, with income verification required only for awards exceeding 45%. The bill allocates $248 million in nonrecurring funds for 2024-2025 and $215.46 million in recurring funds to support Opportunity Scholarships and special education accounts, with planned annual funding increases through 2033.
The North Carolina State Senate passed H823 on May 2, 2024 by a vote of 28 to 15. We have assigned pluses to the nays because all government money comes with strings attached. Public money for private school might sound good in theory, but they expand government involvement into all aspects of education — including homeschools and religious schools — and can potentially affect rules and curriculum. Additionally, this legislation grossly prioritizes certain people and schools over others. We encourage all parents to get their children out of the government school system and instead pursue sound alternatives such as homeschooling and patriotic private schools, such as FreedomProject Academy, that don’t accept government funds.