By Jordan Meadows
Staff Writer
Democratic Gov. Josh Stein has proposed a sweeping change to one of North Carolina’s largest and most debated education programs by recommending a phased wind-down of the state’s Opportunity Scholarship voucher system.
Under Stein’s proposed budget, unveiled in late-April, the state would halt new enrollments in the Opportunity Scholarship Program and impose a stricter income cap on current recipients. The plan sets eligibility at 150% of the federal reduced-price lunch threshold, roughly $90,000 annually for a family of four. Families already receiving scholarships for the 2025–26 school year would only be allowed to renew if they fall below that income level.
Over 105,000 students are enrolled in the Opportunity Scholarship Program, according to the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA). Based on current income tiers, Stein’s proposed cap could affect about 60,000 students statewide, though final figures depend on income data that has not yet been publicly released.
“This returns income limits to 2021 levels and ensures that public funds are targeted to students in need and otherwise support public school students and teachers,” Stein’s budget states. The governor has framed the proposal as a way to gradually “let the program wind down,” while redirecting resources toward public education.
To prepare for a potential influx of returning students, the proposed budget includes a $12.5 million allocation to the state’s ADM Contingency Reserve for the 2026–27 school year. The funds are intended to support public schools absorbing students who may leave private institutions if their vouchers are no longer available.
Mike Long, president of Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina, criticized the plan as harmful to middle-income families.
“Governor Stein’s recommended budget is a direct attack on North Carolina families who rely on the Opportunity Scholarship Program,” Long said in a statement.
Supporters of the governor’s approach, like State Rep. Brandon Lofton, a Democrat from Mecklenburg County, frame the issue as a budgetary trade-off during a legislative press conference.
“We came to Raleigh and we passed a budget that put more money into private school vouchers than it did into teacher raises,” Lofton said. “Every year since then, we’ve lost teachers in our classrooms.”
Robert Luebke of the John Locke Foundation pushed back on claims that vouchers drain public school funding, arguing instead that they expand parental choice and flexibility. Meanwhile, Stein and other critics point to projections that the program could divert as much as $7.5 billion from public education over the next decade if left unchanged.
A 2025 report from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction found that when public school students transfer to private schools using vouchers, the state can save money because voucher amounts are often lower than per-pupil public school spending. However, those savings are offset by the program’s expansion to tens of thousands of students who were not previously enrolled in public schools, resulting in a net increase in overall education spending.
Since lawmakers expanded the program in 2024 to include families of all income levels, participation has surged. The state is now spending roughly $587 million annually on Opportunity Scholarships. About two-thirds of private schools in North Carolina now accept the vouchers, and many incorporate them into their admissions and financial aid processes.
Public opinion has largely favored the program’s expansion. A 2024 Carolina Journal poll found that 64% of likely voters support Opportunity Scholarships, compared to 26% who oppose them. In January 2026, the voucher program was backed by the same proportion of voters as two years earlier, compared to a roughly three point increase in those who opposed it.
Charter schools also maintain majority support at 57.4%, though that marks a notable decline from 68.7% in early 2023, suggesting some softening in public enthusiasm.
Meanwhile, opinions are mixed on Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of legislation tied to a federal tax credit scholarship program: 41.4% of voters oppose the veto, 36.4% support it, and 28% remain undecided. Underlying these positions is a broader sentiment about education decision-making, with 67.8% of North Carolinians saying parents or guardians are best suited to choose where a child attends school.
The debate is unfolding as state lawmakers continue negotiating a broader budget agreement, with disagreements over tax policy, education spending, and teacher pay still unresolved. Applications for the 2026–27 school year are already underway.
