NC Justice Center policy analyst Kris Nordstrom on the expansion of private school vouchers

Kris Nordstrom

The North Carolina General Assembly returned to Raleigh last week to approve a Republican plan to dramatically expand the state’s controversial private school voucher program. The plan advanced despite strong opposition from the Governor, Democratic lawmakers and an array of advocates for public schools.

So what exactly will the plan do? How much will it cost? And what, if anything, is the legislature doing to help traditional K-12 schools that have been struggling with funding shortfalls, teacher shortages and that will soon confront another funding cut later this month when an important federal pandemic relief program dries up? Recently, NC Newsline posed these questions and others to one of our state’s most knowledgeable public education policy experts, the North Carolina Justice Center’s Kris Nordstrom.