Education (School Choice)

in committee · North Carolina · House May 5, 2026

HB 1184: Voucher School Transparency Act.

HB 1184, known as the Voucher School Transparency Act, requires nonpublic schools in North Carolina that receive Opportunity Scholarship funds to submit detailed annual reports to the State Board of Education. These schools must provide financial documentation, standardized test scores for students in grades three and higher, and specific data on graduation rates, teacher licensure, and student demographics. The bill also mandates that schools with at least 70 scholarship recipients or $100,000 in funding undergo annual financial audits, while smaller schools are audited every three years. Additionally, the legislation requires these institutions to conduct criminal background checks for staff, maintain physical facilities within the state, and share safety plans with local law enforcement.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill enhances transparency and accountability for voucher schools, protecting public funds and ensuring educational quality.85% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice Student Financial Aid Teachers Tags Government Transparency

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in committee · North Carolina · House May 4, 2026

HB 1182: Part-Time Status for Disabled Students.

This bill requires local public school districts and charter schools in North Carolina to allow students with disabilities who attend private schools to enroll part-time in public programs. It mandates that schools create written policies permitting these students to access specific courses, services, or specialized education while remaining enrolled in their nonpublic schools. Additionally, the legislation clarifies that part-time students will not count toward a charter school's official enrollment growth numbers and provides $10,000 in funding to help schools cover the administrative costs of implementing these changes.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill expands educational access for disabled students by allowing part-time enrollment in public programs while attending private schools.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice Special Education Student Health Tags People with Disabilities

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died · North Carolina · Senate May 6, 2026

SB 866: Add Home Schools to Opportunity Scholarships.

This bill expands North Carolina's Opportunity Scholarship program to include students enrolled in home schools, allowing them to receive state funding for educational expenses. Under the new provisions, eligible home school students would qualify for a fixed annual grant of $1,500 to cover required costs such as books, equipment, and other materials, though the funding does not cover transportation or tuition fees. The legislation amends existing state statutes to define home schools as eligible nonpublic institutions and authorizes the State Education Assistance Authority to award these funds alongside scholarships for private school students. Funding for this expansion would be appropriated through the existing Opportunity Scholarship Grant Fund Reserve, maintaining the same income-based eligibility criteria used for other scholarship recipients.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates $1,500 per student to expand educational funding for home schoolers, directly increasing state appropriations for education.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill expands educational access by funding home school students, strengthening educational options.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education School Choice Student Financial Aid

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in committee · North Carolina · House Apr 29, 2026

HB 1076: The Innovations Waitlist Reduction Act.

This bill expands access to North Carolina's Innovations waiver for families with children who have significant medical needs by adding 6,635 new slots and funding them with $240 million starting in 2026. It also modifies the Opportunity Scholarship Program to prioritize students from lower-income households by capping eligibility at 200% of the federal free lunch income threshold and adjusting grant amounts based on family income levels. To support these changes, the legislation reduces the overall scholarship fund by $240 million while simultaneously directing substantial recurring funding to the program's reserve for the next 15 years.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates $240M to expand medical access and modifies scholarships to prioritize lower-income families, directly increasing funding for essential public services.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill expands access to education waivers and scholarships, adds funding slots, and prioritizes lower-income students.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill expands Medicaid waiver slots and funds them with $240M, directly increasing access and funding for health services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice Student Financial Aid Student Health Medicaid

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in committee · North Carolina · House Apr 14, 2025

HB 905: Public School Part-Time Enrollment.

This bill requires public schools and charter schools in North Carolina to allow students from nonpublic schools to enroll part-time for access to specific courses, programs, or services. The law mandates that local school boards create policies for this enrollment and make them available on their websites, while charter schools must also post relevant information online. Schools will receive state funding for part-time students, with full per-pupil funding for those attending one-third or more of instructional time and half funding for those attending less. The legislation also clarifies that part-time nonpublic school students will not count toward a charter school's enrollment growth metrics.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill expands educational access by allowing nonpublic school students to enroll part-time in public schools, with state funding for these enrollments, strengthening educational opportunities.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice School Funding

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passed · North Carolina · House May 8, 2025

HB 981: Local Schools Open Enrollment Study.

HB 981 establishes an open enrollment system, allowing students to attend any public school within their local school administrative unit (district) where they are domiciled. This bill requires local school boards to adopt open enrollment plans, including an application process with specific enrollment periods, a method for parents to declare school preferences, and a lottery system if a school has more applicants than capacity. Students accepted through this process can continue attending that school in subsequent years without reapplying. The bill outlines specific reasons for denying enrollment requests, such as lack of capacity or disciplinary issues, and establishes an appeal process for denied applications, first to the local board and then to the State Board of Education. This system will be effective for the 2025-2026 school year.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands student access to public schools within district via open enrollment system, aligning with educational access support indicators.90% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice

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in committee · North Carolina · Senate Feb 5, 2025

SB 48: Access to Sports and Extracurriculars for All.

This bill allows students attending public, private, or homeschools without a specific sport or extracurricular program to participate at the nearest public high school offering that activity. It requires public schools to permit such participation under the same terms as enrolled students, with schools able to charge a reasonable, board-approved fee for non-enrolled students. The law mandates that school districts publish all approved participation fees online by October 15 each year. It applies beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands educational access by enabling all students to participate in sports/extracurriculars at public schools, removing barriers for non-enrolled students.90% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education School Choice Student Health

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in committee · North Carolina · Senate Feb 13, 2025

SB 93: Portability of Leave/Charter Schools.

SB 93 allows charter school employees in North Carolina to transfer their accrued sick and vacation leave to a local school district if they move between a charter school and a local school administrative unit. The bill requires the State Board to create rules ensuring transferred leave cannot accrue at a faster rate than the local district’s standard. It directly affects charter school staff and local school districts by enabling this leave portability, which was previously unavailable. The policy change applies to employees hired on or after the bill's effective date.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationEnables charter school staff to transfer accrued leave to district schools, enhancing teacher benefits and mobility without restricting education funding or access.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentEnables transfer of accrued sick/vacation leave for charter school staff, expanding portable worker benefits under employment standards.90% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice Paid Leave

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in committee · North Carolina · Senate Feb 18, 2025

SB 112: School Financial Flexibility Pilot Program.

SB 112 creates a pilot program allowing eligible North Carolina school districts (with at least 5,000 students and tax authority) to submit a Financial and Hiring Flexibility Plan (FHFP) starting in 2026-2027. The plan requires districts to set specific academic goals by 2030-2031, such as 100% student career planning by senior year and 90% teacher retention, while permitting up to 50% unlicensed teachers in core subjects after completing required training on disability education and behavior management. Districts operating under the FHFP receive unrestricted state funding for school operations but face annual reviews by the State Board, with potential termination if goals aren't met or fiscal standards violated. The program is limited to participating districts and ends after the 2030-2031 school year unless renewed.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires academic goals (career planning, teacher retention) and permits flexible hiring with disability training, aiming to improve educational outcomes.85% confidence ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentPermits up to 50% unlicensed teachers in core subjects, weakening employment standards for educators and reducing professional qualification requirements.90% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education School Choice Student Health

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in committee · North Carolina · Senate Mar 25, 2025

SB 389: Add Home Schools to Opportunity Scholarships.

SB 389 expands North Carolina's Opportunity Scholarship Program to include home-schooled students. The bill adds a new provision (Section 1(b)(2)) specifying that home-school students would receive up to 25% of the state's average per-pupil funding allocation annually, compared to 45-100% for private school students based on household income. It directly affects home-schooled students in North Carolina who have not yet earned a high school diploma and meet the program's income requirements. The bill defines "home school" as meeting state requirements under Part 3 of Article 39 and specifies that funds cover required educational costs (books, materials) but not tuition or transportation. This change modifies existing scholarship rules without altering income-based tiers for private school students.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExpands state funding allocation to home-schooled students via Opportunity Scholarship Program, directly impacting budget appropriations for education assistance.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands scholarship access to home-schooled students, increasing educational choice and funding for non-traditional education pathways90% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education School Choice School Funding

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