North Carolina Projected to Spend More than $600 Million on Private K-12 Tuition in 2025-26

Data from October show that voucher spending in 2025-26 will far exceed 2024-25 spending.

RALEIGH, NC, UNITED STATES, October 29, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The most recent update from the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA-the organization that distributes state vouchers to private schools) reveals that North Carolina has spent $296,056,119 on the state voucher program so far this year ($279,889,102 on Opportunity Scholarship tuition vouchers for 98,917 students and $16,167,017 for 5,473 ESA+ students).

Because voucher appropriations from the state have exceeded demand, the application period has been extended and first-semester expenditures are likely to increase.

Funds to schools are disbursed each semester, so simply doubling the October 6 totals and assuming some increases in November as schools continue to confirm voucher enrollments, North Carolina is projected to spend more than $600 million on taxpayer-funded private school tuition vouchers this school year alone (see chart).

The 2025-26 school year is the second year North Carolina’s voucher program has been universally available. All families, regardless of income, are eligible to receive the state-funded tuition vouchers. Voucher amounts are set by four income tiers, which are tied to public school per pupil expenditures and increase each year. In 2025-26. Families of four with incomes at or below $59,478 (Tier 1) receive $7,686 while families making more than $267,651 (Tier 4) receive 3,458 per student.

More than $1.4 billion has flowed to private schools and families through the state’s voucher programs since their launch a decade ago. Eighty-nine percent has gone directly to the private schools as tuition payment for voucher recipients via the Opportunity Scholarship program.

However, very little is known about many schools that have received voucher funds. Minimal reporting requirements are in place for private schools receiving vouchers.

For example, private schools are not required to publicly share tuition cost, curriculum content, staff credentials, or financial information. Some schools don’t have a Facebook page or website where the public can learn where the school is located, which grades it serves, or basic educational philosophy.

Public schools in North Carolina have stringent reporting and transparency requirements. New legislation in 2025 requires public school teachers to publicly list all of the titles of books/media in their classroom libraries. (1)

1. New NC law requires teachers to publicly list all the books in their classrooms: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/education/article311899253.html

Heather Koons
Public Schools First NC
info@publicschoolsfirstnc.org
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