Yesterday afternoon, the North Carolina House passed legislation that would fully fund the waitlist for the increasingly popular Opportunity Scholarship program. The action came just two days after the Senate approved the same bill. In response, opponents of Opportunity Scholarships predictably reanimated the usual anti–school choice myths, despite the fact that these arguments have been addressed and debunked repeatedly.
At the John Locke Foundation, we’ve refuted many of these tired objections and shown how they don’t hold up under careful scrutiny.
That doesn’t stop opponents from trying to bring them back to life. To quote the late Justice Antonin Scalia, “Like some ghoul in a late-night horror movie that repeatedly sits up in its grave and shuffles abroad, after being repeatedly killed and buried,” it seems the specter of vanquished myths is never quite laid to rest.
Enter Opportunity Scholarship Bingo.
Below are just three Opportunity Scholarship myths found in the media over the past week:
Myth: “What I cannot understand is how we as a body would sanction taxpayer-funded spending on private schools that have almost no standards to ensure that children receive the education that we know they deserve.”
Facts: Schools receiving Opportunity Scholarship vouchers must comply with several health, safety, and nondiscrimination statutes. Schools that enroll more than 25 voucher recipients also have to report standardized test scores. And let’s not forget: Private schools are subject to the highest form of accountability — parents.
Myth: “Rural counties will be hurt the most. … More than a quarter of our rural counties have just one or even no private schools in the voucher program.”
Facts: Students living in rural areas will either use their vouchers to attend private schools, or they’ll stay in the public schools because there aren’t any other options available. Expanding eligibility and funding for Opportunity Scholarships will eventually send market signals leading to the creation of more private schools in rural areas. But until then, why should we deny choices to students who live in areas where there are private schools to choose from?
Myth: “It’s a brazen attempt to subsidize the education of the wealthy at the expense of our most vulnerable children.”
Facts: We don’t begrudge funding to students who attend public schools, even if they come from wealthy households. Plus, even with expanded eligibility, the Opportunity Scholarship program still prioritizes families with the greatest financial need.
Appropriating additional funds for the nearly 55,000 kids still on the waitlist for Opportunity Scholarships isn’t a done deal. The measure now heads the governor’s desk, where it will likely be vetoed due to Gov. Cooper’s longstanding opposition to the program. In that case, the General Assembly could reconvene and attempt to pass the measure over the governor’s veto.
As the bill continues through the legislative process, expect opponents to continue bringing back up more old Opportunity Scholarship myths. Why not play bingo with us as you read local media over the new few days? See how many you can spot.
