Bill No. S671
Bill ID
1492105
State
NC
Title
Changes to the K-12 Scholarship Programs
Description
PFPS Summary: "SB671 makes several changes to the State’s existing voucher programs. Whereas current eligibility criteria for the Opportunity Scholarship voucher program requires a student to have attended public school during the previous spring semester, SB671 expands eligibility for the 2021-22 school year to students who enrolled in private school for the spring of the 2019-20 school year and the entire 2020-21 school year, and gives them the same “first priority” for vouchers as afforded to students who previously received vouchers. Beginning in the 2022-23 school year, the bill expands eligibility for the Opportunity Scholarship voucher to students turning four on or before April 16 who are deemed gifted and admitted by a private school. The bill also increases the income eligibility threshold to 175% of the amount required to qualify for the federal free or reduced-price lunch program and expands eligibility to children in foster care, regardless of household income. It also expands eligibility to students who enrolled in private school for the spring of the prior school year but were enrolled in public school for the entire year prior to enrolling in a private school. The bill changes the cap on the voucher amount from $4,200 to 90% of the average State per pupil allocation in the prior fiscal year. Beginning June 30, 2021, the bill prioritizes $500,000 of unexpended funds to contract with a nonprofit corporation to promote the State’s voucher programs and assist families with the application process. It changes the funds that the State Education Assistance Authority may retain for administration of the Opportunity Scholarship voucher program to the lesser of 4% of the funds appropriated or two million dollars. SB671 also modifies the State’s ESA voucher programs for students with disabilities, by consolidating existing programs into the new Student Accounts for Children with Disabilities ESA voucher program. It expands eligibility to students turning four on or before April 16 who are deemed gifted and admitted by a non-public school. It also makes school districts the only entities that can provide evaluations for initial and continued eligibility. For students with certain disabilities (autism; hearing impairment; moderate or severe intellectual or developmental disability; multiple, permanent orthopedic impairments; and visual impairment), the bill increases the voucher amount up to $17,000 per year, and up to $4,500 may be carried forward to the next school year. A student may have up to $30,000 in total carried forward funds. Students using ESA vouchers may also qualify for the Opportunity Scholarship voucher program. The bill changes the funds that the State Education Assistance Authority may retain for administration of the Student Accounts for Children with Disabilities ESA voucher program to the lesser of 4% of the funds appropriated or two million dollars. The bill eliminates the requirement to verify the information in 6% of ESA voucher applications annually, including those with apparent errors on the face of the application. The bill also allows parents to be reimbursed for tuition at private schools that do not comply with accountability measures generally imposed on private schools accepting students using vouchers, such as administering standardized tests, reporting testing data and graduation rates, conducting a financial review by CPA for schools receiving more than $300,000 in voucher funds, and agreeing not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national origin. Beginning in the 2022-23 fiscal year, recurring funds from the existing voucher programs for students with disabilities will be consolidated into the North Carolina Personal Education Student Accounts for Children with Disabilities Program, totaling $16,043,166. "
Bill Type
Bill
Category
Change to Program, ESAs, Students with Disabilities, Program Expansion
Session
2021-2022 Session
Special Session
No Data Available
Current Status
Passed
Status Last Updated
2022-07-08
Pending Committee