Add Home Schools to Opportunity Scholarships
Senate Bill 389 would expand North Carolina’s Opportunity Scholarship program to include students enrolled in home schools, in addition to students attending private nonpublic schools. The bill amends the state’s scholarship statutes to define home schools as eligible nonpublic schools for purposes of the program, sets a scholarship amount for home-school students at up to 25% of the average state per-pupil allocation, and allows those funds to be used for required home-school costs such as books, equipment, and other required items. It also updates related administrative provisions so the State Education Assistance Authority and the Division of Nonpublic Education can identify, track, and oversee home schools participating in the program.
The bill also makes several conforming changes to the rules governing scholarship administration and school participation. It clarifies documentation requirements for home schools, adjusts testing and reporting language to account for home-school students, and preserves existing oversight provisions such as eligibility review, nondiscrimination requirements, and the ability to revoke eligibility for noncompliant schools. In addition, it appropriates new recurring General Fund dollars to the Opportunity Scholarship Grant Fund Reserve for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027, and it revises the reserve’s longer-term funding schedule upward substantially in later years.
The bill’s impact on state law would be to broaden the scope of North Carolina’s school choice voucher program and create a new statutory pathway for home-school families to receive state scholarship funds. It would also increase state spending commitments to the reserve that finances these scholarships, affecting the budget and the administration of the program by the Authority and the Division. Home-school parents would become a new class of eligible recipients, while participating schools and families would be subject to the bill’s reporting, endorsement, and compliance rules.
Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, the available context does not show formal debate or a documented vote pattern. The bill’s title and structure suggest it is part of the broader school-choice agenda and likely intended to be supportive of home-school families. The main policy tension inherent in the bill is between expanding parental choice and increasing state expenditures, along with questions about how much oversight should apply to home schools receiving public funds.
Notable points of contention would likely include whether home schools should receive public scholarship dollars at all, how to verify required costs and student eligibility, and whether the testing, reporting, and compliance requirements are sufficient for accountability. Another likely issue is the bill’s fiscal effect, since it increases recurring appropriations and revises the reserve’s funding trajectory upward, which could draw scrutiny from budget-focused lawmakers and public-school advocates.
S389 would amend Chapter 115C, Article 39, Part 2 of the North Carolina General Statutes governing Opportunity Scholarships to expressly include home schools as eligible recipients and to set a separate scholarship formula for those students. It would also revise related provisions on definitions, school participation requirements, documentation, testing, reporting, and fund endorsement to accommodate home-school participation. In addition, it would appropriate new recurring money to the Opportunity Scholarship Grant Fund Reserve and increase the reserve’s future appropriations schedule, thereby expanding the state’s financial commitment to the program.
No committee discussion or vote history was provided, so there is no recorded floor or committee sentiment to summarize. Based on the bill’s content and title, the measure appears to be framed positively as a school-choice expansion for home-school families. The overall policy direction is supportive of private and home education, with the principal public-policy tradeoff being increased state spending and expanded voucher eligibility.
The most likely points of contention are whether public scholarship funds should be available to home-school students, how much oversight should accompany those funds, and whether the state should require testing, reporting, and compliance measures comparable to those imposed on private schools. Fiscal impact is another major issue, because the bill adds recurring appropriations and substantially increases long-term reserve funding. Supporters would likely emphasize parental choice and equitable access to scholarships, while critics may focus on accountability, diversion of funds from public schools, and the administrative complexity of monitoring home-school participation.