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There's less public data on the Opportunity Scholarship program today than there was ten years ago. Meanwhile, state lawmakers could add billions more dollars to fund it.

Some colleges in North Carolina had to evacuate their students after flooding from Helene left them without power, running water, and cell phone connectivity.

The North Carolina State House voted Wednesday to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to fund private school vouchers, part of a spending bill that also includes a controversial immigration provision.

North Carolina lawmakers are poised to pass nearly a quarter billion dollars in additional funding that would help pay for private school tuition for 55,000 families on a waitlist this year. School choice supporters are praising the move, while public school advocates worry about shifting education priorities.

North Carolina's Republican legislative leaders announced on Friday that they reached a spending deal to fund various programs. One of those programs is the state's Opportunity Scholarship that provides scholarships to families enrolling their children in private schools.

New North Carolina reports show growth in private schools and home-schooling continued last year.

Last fall, the North Carolina General Assembly expanded eligibility for Opportunity Scholarships, which are state-funded vouchers to help families pay private school tuition. For the upcoming school year, any family, regardless of income, could apply to get a voucher. With that change, demand tripled, and families still on the waitlist are ramping up their call for funds.

A lower-than-expected revenue surplus could delay extra funding for a private school voucher program.

The North Carolina Senate has approved legislation to set aside roughly $500 million more for now for programs that provide taxpayer money to help K-12 students attend private schools.

About 2,300 more North Carolina families were just notified their kids will get private-school vouchers for 2024. But about 56,000 could be denied Opportunity Scholarships unless the General Assembly approves more money.