N.C. vouchers: Time to apply

For low-income families thinking about moving their children from public to private school next year,  now is the time to get serious about planning.

The state is taking applications through Feb. 25 for new opportunity scholarships of up to $4,200 a year.  Students eligible for free and reduced lunches,  which translates to an income of $43,568 for a family of four,  can file for the publicly-funded scholarships.  Find the application and other information,  including a list of N.C. private schools,  at this link.  There are also public grants available for students with disabilities going into private schools;  get details here.

There are lingering uncertainties about the opportunity scholarship program,  including,  as Lynn Bonner of the News & Observer reported,  lawsuits to get it blocked.  And families'  plans may be uncertain at this point, too.  But if there's even a chance your kids might benefit from this program,  it makes sense to apply  --  and to be checking out private schools to see what might work for your child and whether additional aid is available.

Allison

"It's critically important for those families that are interested.  They should get involved,"  says Darrell Allison of Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina,  one of the biggest proponents of the vouchers.

Here's how it works:  The state will look at all the applications filed by Feb. 25.  If the $10 million set aside to cover the scholarships  (enough for about 2,400 students)  isn't enough,  there will be a lottery.  The state will announce recipients on March 3.  You don't have to have a private-school acceptance in hand at that point;  recipients have until July 15 to choose a school and offer evidence that the child has been accepted to claim the money.  As many have noted,  $4,200 won't cover tuition at most schools in the Charlotte area,  but if you find one that's cheaper the scholarship covers only the tuition total.

Remember,  students who are already in private schools or being home-schooled this year don't qualify.  The scholarships are reserved for those seeking alternatives to their current public schools  (that includes charters).  Qualifying for a scholarship doesn't guarantee acceptance;  private schools retain the right to reject any student.

Opponents say this program is draining $10 million in desperately needed money for public education and transferring it to schools that can pick and choose their students without meeting any kind of academic standards.  Private schools,  including religious ones,  can offer whatever kind of curriculum they choose,  and there's no standard,  publicly mandated data available like there is for public schools.

Allison says the ultimate accountability lies with families:  "They are empowered for the first time to choose.   We have to give them some credit for common sense."

Nor,  he says,  is the goal to skim 2,400 of the best low-income students from public schools.  Some families may explore private schools and realize their public school is better.  But at that point it's a choice,  not a default,  he says.

There's one more big reason to apply this month:  Once you get an opportunity scholarship,  it continues each year that the students remains in the private school,  Allison says.  In coming years,  new applicants will have to compete for the money that remains.

Will vouchers spur new schools?

Will North Carolina see a spurt of new private schools opening in 2014-15,  when $4,200  "opportunity scholarships"  become available for low-income students?

Superintendent Heath Morrison,  no fan of sending public money to private schools,  says the Florida system that served as the model for North Carolina's new vouchers sparked a round of new private schools,  some of which closed or did a poor job of educating students.  Jonathan Sink,  the CMS legislative liaison,  said he'd expect to see area churches open schools to take advantage of the scholarships.

Morrison noted with skepticism that $4,200 a year isn't enough to cover tuition at most private schools in the Charlotte area.  The most prestigious schools,  such as Charlotte Country Day,  Charlotte Latin and Providence Day School,  run about $20,000 a year.  A study by the pro-voucher Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina pegged Mecklenburg's median tuition at $7,750 to $9,565,  depending on grade level.

Franz

Tom Franz,  head of Trinity Episcopal School in uptown Charlotte, says the scholarships will help students from families of modest means get an education at established, successful private schools.  Trinity,  where tuition is about $15,000 a year,  provides financial aid to many students,  he said,  but it's seldom enough to cover the family's full need.  A state scholarship coupled with Trinity's aid might help more students be able to stay for several years.  "This is the kind of thing that makes it doable and affordable for families,"  Franz said.

Everyone's still figuring out the details of the new program,  but Franz said it appears to be similar to the privately-funded Children's Scholarship Fund,  which he considers a successful approach.  Most independent schools aren't interested in government money if it comes with strings attached,  Franz said,  but the opportunity scholarships appear to leave the decision-making to the independent boards that run the schools.

Franz agrees with Morrison that the opportunity to get public money may inspire new schools to open,  and that some of them may be poor quality.  The same could be said of new charter schools springing up,  he said  --  some will be excellent and some will be weak.

Charter schools,  like traditional public schools,  must give their students state exams and be rated on the results  (A-F letter grades will debut in August 2014).  Morrison questioned why private schools that take tax money won't be held to the same accountability standards.

Darrell Allison,  president of PEFNC,  says vouchers aren't likely to inspire successful students to leave good public schools.  Instead,  he says,  it's a chance for students who aren't thriving to leave schools that aren't serving them well.  And his group contends that if a student gets a better education for $4,200 in public money  --  compared with more than $8,000 per pupil in public schools  --  it's not only a good deal for the family but for taxpayers.