05/18/2026
Public Schools First NC Partner Newsletter Spotlight: It's a Banner Year for NC Private Schools Accepting Vouchers
Last school year (2024-25) was the first time voucher eligibility was open to all families regardless of prior public school attendance or income. The surge in voucher use brought an unprecedented windfall to voucher-accepting private schools across the state as families who had always sent their children to private school qualified for a tax-payer funded voucher. The Opportunity Scholarship (OS) voucher funds are sent directly from the state (NCSEAA) to the school.
This year, the windfall got a lot bigger. In addition to more private schools opening for business, 75 more private schools decided to accept the taxpayer-funded vouchers. The April 6 update from NCSEAA shows that the state has spent more than $586 million on OS vouchers for 106,782 students so far this year, up from $432 million for 80,472 students in 2024-25.
A new report by NCDPI reveals that just 11.5% of this year’s OS voucher students had previously attended public school. In other words, 88.5% of the voucher recipients this year had never attended public school.
Instead of serving public school students across the state, the voucher funds predominantly go to wealthy urban areas. Wake County private schools have received more than $79 million so far this year and more than $185 million since the program started.
A fraction of that voucher funding would have saved Wake County public schools from having to cut $10 million from its budget at their last board meeting. In prior meetings, Wake staff proposed cutting $18 million from their special education services budget. Community feedback kept the funds in place, but these challenging decisions contrast sharply to the massive flow of state funds to private schools that refuse to accept students with disabilities.
For example, Thales Academy does not recognize IEP or 504 requirements. Their 10 campuses across the state have received nearly $22 million in vouchers so far this year. North Raleigh Christian Academy doesn’t accept students with IQs below 90 or traditional IEP plans. The school has received more in voucher tuition funds than any other school in the state so far this year.
Rural districts are losing the most. Instead of the $586 million in voucher spending going to public schools that benefit students across the state, the voucher funds are going to wealthy families and schools in urban/suburban areas. Access an interactive map to see totals by county at https://publicschoolsfirstnc.org/issues/school-vouchers/.
As of the April update, the 10 schools receiving the most in voucher funds have received nearly $49 million in taxpayer funded voucher tuition payments this year alone!!!
North Raleigh Christian Academy (Wake) - $6,254,684
Metrolina Christian Academy (Union) - $5,879,581
Grace Christian School (Lee) - $5,757,976
Concord Academy (Cabarrus) - $4,973,539
Liberty Christian Academy (Onslow) - $4,427,465
Wesleyan Christian Academy (Guilford) - $4,373,809
Gaston Christian School (Gaston) - $4,332,951
Fayetteville Christian School (Cumberland) - $4,271,109
Burlington Christian School (Alamance) - $4,190,271
Wayne Christian School (Wayne) - $4,104,663
Many of the same schools are also on the list of the 10 schools that have received the most TOTAL voucher funding since the program launched in 2014-15. Together, these 10 schools have received more than $147 million in vouchers:
Grace Christian School (Lee) - $18,937,628
Trinity Christian School (Cumberland) - $17,865,553
Berean Baptist Academy (Cumberland) - $15,660,770
Liberty Christian Academy (Onslow) - $15,354,454
Fayetteville Christian School (Cumberland) - $15,340,418
Concord Academy (Cabarrus) - $14,525,594
Metrolina Christian Academy (Union) - $13,012,102
North Raleigh Christian Academy (Wake) - $12,992,636
Freedom Christian Academy (Cumberland) - $11,926,470
Wayne Christian School (Wayne) - $11,715,544
In many counties such as Wake County, the money going to private school tuition in the county could easily alleviate the public school district's financial woes.
Cumberland County is weighing the option of closing several schools for budgetary reasons despite massive community pushback. The $35.9 million sent to Cumberland private schools so far this year alone could go a long way toward keeping Cumberland public schools open. Since the voucher program launched, Cumberland private schools have received more than $134 million from the state.
Gaston County is considering a sales tax increase to pay for better teacher salaries (local supplement). But private schools in the area have already received $14.8 million from the state this year. That money could instead have been used to increase teacher salaries.
Since voucher launch, Gaston private schools have received $44.8 million from the state.
Guilford County recently asked county commissioners for $25 million more this year while the private schools have already received $35.4 million in OS voucher tuition payments. If the state had sent the voucher funding to public schools instead, the county commissioners wouldn't have to face the $25 million request.
Since voucher launch, Guilford private schools have received $104 million from the state.
Pitt County is considering cutting 67 staff positions due to budget concerns. Meanwhile, private schools in Pitt have received $13.7 million in OS vouchers this year.
Since voucher launch, Pitt private schools have received $31.3 million from the state.
You can find a list of voucher-accepting private schools and funds received by private schools in each county at https://drive.google.com/drive/u/2/mobile/folders/1_smuM_hwjt-rwqhI53GsZTGg_g3o_z3D. Click on the county to access a pdf with the county-specific data.
Read full newsletter: https://publicschoolsfirstnc.org/resources/newsletters/
