RALEIGH, N.C. (CN) — Democrat Governor Roy Cooper on Friday vetoed a General Assembly bill that would have put millions toward funding private school vouchers, emphasizing that the state needs to invest more in public schools.
Cooper opposed the private school “opportunity scholarships” over Republicans’ support for the measure.
“Let’s be clear,” Cooper said. “I am not against private schools and parents choosing that option. It works for some children. But I am against taking tax payer dollars out of the public schools and giving it to private school vouchers for the wealthiest North Carolinians and that is exactly what House Bill 10 does.”
No Democrats supported the bill when it passed through the Senate.
If enacted, it would send $248 million to clear the waitlist of applicants for private school vouchers and allocate over $215 million in recurring scholarship funds. It came after a several month stalemate between the chambers, who left their primary working session with multiple issues unresolved. Additional funds were allocated in a 20-page mini budget bill that passed the General Assembly earlier this month.
Once the voucher program is funded, it will be hard to walk back that funding, Cooper said Friday. And private schools receiving the vouchers are not held to the same regulations public schools are — nor are they required to follow academic standards established by the state; accept students regardless of race, gender or religious beliefs; or hire licensed teachers. They are not required to report on student performance, provide services for disabled students or provide students with transportation or meals.
Cooper said he believes both parties should be invested in prioritizing public education in rural counties, many of which do not have private schools.
In Alexander County, over 80% of students are in public schools. There is only one private school in the area. The county could stand to lose almost $450,000 in public school funding if private school funding were passed.
“As a former elected Republican who understands the financial challenges of rural governments in North Carolina, I am extremely concerned about the revenue displacement that would take place under HB10,” former Transylvania County Commissioner Mike Hawkins said. “Rural Republican representatives know that this is a threat to our school systems and to the very fabric of life for rural North Carolina.”
Schools and churches are cornerstones in rural communities, Hawkins said, and the loss of 150 students spread out over a number of years could severely cost a small county that would have lost over a million dollars in funding but would still have to provide the same services for students.
Public schools are funded based on enrollment numbers. They receive an average of $7,500 per student, which covers teacher salaries, educational materials and transportation. If students leave the public school system for private schools, the public school has to maintain the same services with less funding.
Since private schools are primarily in urban areas, the voucher program would result in public funds being more concentrated in wealthier areas. Out of North Carolina’s 100 counties, 28 have either no private schools, or only one.
Still, Republicans have said they want to ease the burden for taxpayers who pay to enroll their children in private schools — despite many of North Carolina’s top private schools not accepting vouchers — and give parents a choice in their children’s education.
Cooper appealed to rural Republicans Friday, calling the issue a bipartisan one.
If Cooper is able to sway even one or two Republicans, he could prevent the general assembly from overriding his veto and passing it into law. Republicans have a supermajority in both chambers, by one vote each, and if a member in either chamber was swayed, they may lose the numbers to pass it.
Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger said the Assembly will likely take up overrides in a November session.
“There is still time to stop the expansion of private school vouchers,” Cooper said. “Wealthy people will never let their private school vouchers be taken away if we don’t stop it now.”