HB 1104
Talking Points
1. From Bill’s Blog:
a. HB 1104 would allow private nonprofits to receive up to $40 million in state funds. This
money would be diverted away from the state's General Fund and given to support
sending children to schools that are not held accountable to taxpayers for spending or
for student performance.
b. Instead of working to preserve and protect this important investment, some legislative
members have chosen to focus on writing legislation to create a program that would
funnel state money to private schools under the veil of supporting low-income students.
c. Home schools, private schools and charter schools play an important role our system of
education. However, this legislation supports schools that meet the needs of certain
groups of students to the detriment of those schools that meet the needs of many
others. If lawmakers are going support private interests instead of working to preserve
equity, quality, access, transparency and accountability in our system of education, it is
our students who will ultimately pay the price.
2. The idea that anything private is inherently better than anything public is completely
unsupported by the facts. Similar programs in other states lack any proven educational benefits.
As a State, we need to focus our efforts on, and direct our tax revenues to, proven reform
strategies.
a. Public school teachers in North Carolina must meet numerous licensing requirements
before they are ready to take on the responsibility of education our students. HB 1104
and current North Carolina laws do not impose any qualifications for teachers employed
by private schools.
b. Public schools are required to follow an approved and vetted curriculum and are judged
by student performance on ACT, EOG and EOC exam scores. Private schools do not have
to follow any prescribed curriculum, can choose which nationally standardized exams
they want to administer, and can even decide for themselves what constitutes a passing
score on those exams. These schools should be equally accountable for student
performance.
3. HB 1104 diverts needed tax revenue during a time of severe budget cuts. The idea that HB 1104
will save taxpayer money is a farce. Supporters argue that North Carolina spends approximately
$8,000 per student, while the scholarship amount is limited to $4,000 per eligible student. Thus,
the argument goes, the State will save $4,000 for every participating student. However, this fails
to take into account each school’s fixed costs (maintenance, utilities, transportation, staffing
levels, etc). Districts cannot reduce these fixed costs in proportion to the number of students
who transfer to private schools, taking their per pupil funding with them.
4. Constitutes indirect, public funding of religious education. This is essentially a backdoor voucher
scheme.
a. NOTE – Similar legislation has withstood legal challenge. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld
similar legislation from Arizona.