Did you know that the North Carolina General Assembly adopted a $50 million voucher program? Neither did I. But the North Carolina Association of Educators seems to think so. In an effort to “refute” Governor McCrory’s budget claims, the NCAErs write,
7. While gutting public schools and educators, the legislature adopted a $50 million school voucher program ($10 million 2013-14, $40 million in 2014-15).
The truth is that the legislature adopted a $10 million voucher for low income kids that will be introduced in 2014-15, not 2013-14. I have no idea where the $40 million figure comes from.
Even if you add the special needs scholarship to the mix, the figures would be $3.67 for 2013-14 and $14.34 million for 2014-15. That is far short of the $50 million total cited by the NCAE.
Update: News & Observer reporters Jane Stancill and Anne Blythe did not publish that error in this article on the McCrory address. On the other hand, the N&O allowed the NCAE to voice their opinion of our research without providing us the opportunity to provide a response.
