All North Carolina Students Benefit from Bipartisan Support in Raleigh

Every student in North Carolina will benefit from bipartisan action by the North Carolina General Assembly on legislation signed by Governor Roy Cooper last week.

Not only will each family with at least one child receive $335 to help offset unforeseen costs associated with the pandemic, House Bill 1105 also expands educational options for students with unique abilities and broadens access to virtual schools.

“North Carolina’s leaders are putting students first. With overwhelming bipartisan support, North Carolina families will benefit from this prudent investment of federal funding as they navigate the unique challenges of a global pandemic, while helping their child continue learning.

“ExcelinEd in Action would especially like to thank Senator Deanna Ballard, Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger and Speaker Tim Moore for their support of North Carolina students.

“We would also like to thank Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina, CarolinaCAN and our many partner organizations working relentlessly to make the Tar Heel state an even better place to live and learn.”

Josh Thomas, Regional Legislative Director for the Southeast Region for ExcelinEd in Action

House Bill 1105 makes several investments to improve access to quality educational opportunities for all North Carolina families. These investments include:

• $22 million to allow the state’s two virtual charter schools to enroll up to an additional 3,800 students
• $10 million in additional funding for student connectivity
• $1 million for a new teacher support program
• $440 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds to give $335 to every family that has at least one child
• $6.5 million to expand the Opportunity Scholarship Program and the The funding provides  scholarships to nearly 2,500 families currently on waitlists. The bill also removes the cap on the number of kindergarten and first grade Opportunity Scholarships that can be given out each year.

For more about Education Scholarship Accounts and the transformative power of educational freedom, visit ExcelinEd’s policy library.