Extra private school voucher funding gets initial OK from North Carolina Senate
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Extra private school voucher funding gets initial OK from North Carolina Senate

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina Senate took the first step in clearing the state’s waitlist for private school vouchers Monday after passing a supplemental spending plan that also includes more Medicaid money, rural broadband access and requirements for sheriffs to assist federal immigration agents. The Senate reconvened after Republican chamber leaders announced last week that they reached a spending plan agreement that includes $463 million for the state’s Opportunity Scholarship. “We’re just so excited.” Democrats dominated the Senate floor debate by voicing concern that voucher spending would negatively affect resources for public schools, especially in rural counties, while wealthy families also can now benefit from scholarships. “We’re telling children in underfunded schools that their education is less important than providing a taxpayer-funded handout to those who can afford private tuition,” Guilford County Democratic Sen. Michael Garrett said on the floor.

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History of this topic

North Carolina Republicans complete a veto override of voucher, immigration bill
1 month ago

North Carolina Republicans complete a veto override of voucher, immigration bill

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Republican-dominated North Carolina legislature completed on Wednesday its override of Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of legislation that both approves more funds for private school scholarship grants for recipients of all incomes and directs local sheriffs to comply with federal immigration agents’ requests to detain certain inmates. “A historic expansion of parental school choice is now a …

North Carolina GOP leaders reach spending deal to clear private school voucher waitlist
3 months, 2 weeks ago

North Carolina GOP leaders reach spending deal to clear private school voucher waitlist

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina’s Republican House and Senate leaders said Friday that they have agreed with each other on a supplemental spending proposal that includes hundreds of millions of dollars to eliminate the state’s waitlist for private school vouchers. The proposal sets aside an additional $463 million for this school year and next for the state’s Opportunity Scholarship Program …

Families rally to urge North Carolina lawmakers to fully fund private-school vouchers
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Families rally to urge North Carolina lawmakers to fully fund private-school vouchers

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — Dozens of North Carolina parents held a rally on Wednesday to urge Republican legislators to fully fund scholarships for children to attend private and religious schools after lawmakers failed to work out an agreement earlier this year to meet the program’s soaring demand. Senate leader Phil Berger also met with the advocates and expressed his support but …

Tax cuts, teacher raises and a few social issues in South Carolina budget compromise
6 months ago

Tax cuts, teacher raises and a few social issues in South Carolina budget compromise

Associated Press  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A budget compromise reached by a small group of lawmakers Friday means South Carolina will accelerate a planned income tax cut, raise the salaries of all teachers and state employees and send more money to adult and juvenile prisons. A conference committee agreed to the more than $13 billion spending plan for next budget year, sending it …

North Carolina House budget gets initial OK as Senate unveils stripped-down plan
6 months ago

North Carolina House budget gets initial OK as Senate unveils stripped-down plan

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — A North Carolina budget-adjustment measure penned by House Republicans received initial approval Wednesday in the chamber, legislation that covers a massive increase in private-school voucher demand, locates money for child care centers and raises worker and teacher pay further than already scheduled. Four House Democrats joined all Republicans present to vote 73-36 for the bill, which makes …

North Carolina Senate OKs $500 million for private school vouchers, student accounts
7 months, 3 weeks ago

North Carolina Senate OKs $500 million for private school vouchers, student accounts

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Senate Republicans pushed legislation through their chamber Thursday to set aside roughly $500 million more for now for programs that provide taxpayer money to help K-12 students attend private schools and eliminate their waiting lists. During Thursday’s hour-long floor debate on the issue, Senate Democrats argued it was unfair for the wealthiest families to receive …

North Carolina Republicans seek hundreds of millions of dollars more for school vouchers
7 months, 3 weeks ago

North Carolina Republicans seek hundreds of millions of dollars more for school vouchers

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — Addressing a sharp increase in private-school grant applications, North Carolina Republicans advanced legislation on Wednesday to spend hundreds of millions of dollars now to eliminate a large waiting list this fall for Opportunity Scholarships and to permanently meet expected higher demand. The Senate Appropriations Committee voted for legislation that would spend another $248 million in the coming …

North Carolina governor seeks to halt GOP’s favored policies as legislature resumes
7 months, 4 weeks ago

North Carolina governor seeks to halt GOP’s favored policies as legislature resumes

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina General Assembly returned Wednesday for its budget-adjustment session, receiving a spending plan from Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper that seeks to halt Republicans’ premier policies in recent years on taxes and school choice — proposals that GOP lawmakers are likely to ignore. Cooper’s budget would spend $3.6 billion more for the fiscal year starting July …

Tennessee lawmakers approve $52.8B spending plan as hopes of school voucher agreement flounder
8 months ago

Tennessee lawmakers approve $52.8B spending plan as hopes of school voucher agreement flounder

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee’s Republican-dominant Statehouse approved a $52.8 billion spending plan Thursday for the upcoming fiscal year that includes an eye-popping $1.95 billion tax break and refund for businesses, but little new tax relief for most Tennessee families. The House version would overhaul standardized testing for public school students, change teacher and principal evaluation requirements, cover more of the …

South Carolina House votes to expand voucher program. It’s fate in Senate is less clear
9 months ago

South Carolina House votes to expand voucher program. It’s fate in Senate is less clear

Associated Press  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Republicans in the South Carolina House gave key approval Wednesday to a bill expanding a program allowing parents to spend taxpayer money on private and home-school education even as a pilot plan is just starting and the state’s highest court is considering whether it is legal. “We can support our public school and our public school teachers, …

Pennsylvania lawmakers OK millions for universities, but feud over private and public school aid
1 year, 1 month ago

Pennsylvania lawmakers OK millions for universities, but feud over private and public school aid

Associated Press  

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania’s Legislature on Wednesday approved hundreds of millions of dollars for universities after a fight that has dragged on five months into the fiscal year, although the politically divided body continued to feud over elements of school funding. Legislation to send just over $600 million to several higher education institutions passed both the House and Senate within …

Parents like private school vouchers so much that demand is exceeding budgets in some states
1 year, 1 month ago

Parents like private school vouchers so much that demand is exceeding budgets in some states

Associated Press  

In some states, higher-income families can now use taxpayer money to cover private school tuition -- and more people than projected are taking the offer, which might force scrambles to shore up state budgets. It’s especially an issue in states like Arizona and Iowa, where at least some families whose children were already in private school can now take advantage …

Pennsylvania to begin new fiscal year without budget plan in place
1 year, 5 months ago

Pennsylvania to begin new fiscal year without budget plan in place

Associated Press  

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Republicans who control Pennsylvania’s Senate passed spending legislation hours ahead of Saturday’s start of a new fiscal year, but they lacked agreement with the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives to keep state government’s full spending authority intact. The main budget bill in the Senate GOP’s $45 billion spending plan passed 29-21, a couple hours after it emerged Friday. …

What to Watch: Pennsylvania budget talks near deadline, and get contentious
1 year, 5 months ago

What to Watch: Pennsylvania budget talks near deadline, and get contentious

Associated Press  

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Democratic Gov. But top Democratic lawmakers have long opposed what they call “private school vouchers” — including this program — and that has sowed doubts about whether Shapiro can secure a deal in the coming days. The massive reserves are easing spending decisions, while the court decision has emboldened Democratic lawmakers to demand far more money for …

Large private school voucher expansion voted for by both North Carolina legislative chambers
1 year, 7 months ago

Large private school voucher expansion voted for by both North Carolina legislative chambers

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — Families at any income level — not just the poor and the middle class — could receive North Carolina taxpayer funds for their children to attend K-12 private schools under legislation getting formal support Wednesday with votes in both chambers. Rep. Julie von Haefen, a Wake County Democrat opposed to the program, said eliminating the income standards …

North Carolina Senate votes on state government budget
1 year, 7 months ago

North Carolina Senate votes on state government budget

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — A state government budget proposal from North Carolina Senate Republicans received initial approval in their chamber on Wednesday, outlining a plan that spends the same amount as a competing House measure but differs on priorities, tax details and a host of policy prescriptions. “But that’s not to say at the end of the day we can’t pull …

North Carolina Senate unveils state budget with deeper tax cuts, lower raises than House proposal
1 year, 7 months ago

North Carolina Senate unveils state budget with deeper tax cuts, lower raises than House proposal

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Senate Republicans revealed their proposed two-year state government budget proposal Monday, one that would further reduce personal income taxes but offer less generous pay raises for workers compared to what their House counterparts sought. The Senate budget proposal would raise average teacher pay by just 4.5% over the next two years, compared to a 10.2% …

South Carolina governor signs private school voucher bill
1 year, 7 months ago

South Carolina governor signs private school voucher bill

Associated Press  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina’s governor signed a bill into law Thursday that will eventually allow up to 15,000 students in the state to use public money for private schools. Within three years, the eligibility is to be capped at 15,000 students, or about 2% of South Carolina’s school age population, for families making around $120,000 or less. Republican South …

N. Carolina GOP seeks big private school voucher expansion
1 year, 7 months ago

N. Carolina GOP seeks big private school voucher expansion

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — Public money for private school tuition would be available to all of North Carolina’s K-12 students regardless of income under Republican-backed legislation that began advancing in the General Assembly on Wednesday. In a tweet last week, Cooper called the expansion proposal “worse than awful” for offering “vouchers that can be used by billionaires to send their kids …

N. Carolina House state budget proposal gets initial OK
1 year, 8 months ago

N. Carolina House state budget proposal gets initial OK

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina House voted on Wednesday for a Republican-backed budget measure that would fund the state government for the next two years, including billions in spending for infrastructure and mental health and attempts to address inflation and job vacancies with pay raises. “This is not a spend-spend reckless plan but an opportunity to build on our …

N. Carolina governor’s big budget increase scoffed at by GOP
1 year, 9 months ago

N. Carolina governor’s big budget increase scoffed at by GOP

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina’s Democratic governor released his state government spending plan on Wednesday that would increase spending by 20% over the next two years, double the increase favored by Republican majorities in the House and Senate. Senate leader Phil Berger called Cooper’s budget “an irresponsible, unserious proposal from a lame-duck governor who wants future North Carolinians to pick …

Tax money for students for private school on SC Senate floor
1 year, 11 months ago

Tax money for students for private school on SC Senate floor

Associated Press  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina senators said a bill that would give some less well off parents and guardians up to $6,000 a year for private school tuition will be the first thing they debate in the 2023 session. Republican Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey told members the bill will come up for debate Tuesday on the Senate floor. The …

North Carolina high court backs move forcing school spending
2 years, 1 month ago

North Carolina high court backs move forcing school spending

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — A local North Carolina judge had the power to transfer large amounts of taxpayer dollars from government coffers to state agencies to carry out a plan to address longstanding education inequities, the state Supreme Court ruled on Friday. In another landmark decision from school funding litigation that began three decades ago, the court’s Democratic majority declared it …

North Carolina high court backs move forcing school spending
2 years, 1 month ago

North Carolina high court backs move forcing school spending

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A local North Carolina judge had the power to transfer …

SC Senate debates private school choice for poorer students
2 years, 8 months ago

SC Senate debates private school choice for poorer students

Associated Press  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Senate’s debate on a bill that would give some poorer or disabled students money so they could pick a private school or public school outside their district will continue into next week. “Please stop bringing your politics to our classrooms.” The program would be limited to 5,000 students the first year before reaching a …

SC House considering its own private school voucher bill
2 years, 10 months ago

SC House considering its own private school voucher bill

Associated Press  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Leaders in the South Carolina House appear to be pushing their own bill to give poorer parents money to pay tuition at private schools. Unlike some other voucher programs, the money wouldn’t come out of the state budget for public schools, instead being pulled from a contingency fund, House Ways and Means Chairman Murrell Smith said. Rep. …

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