NC’s private school voucher program will get a state audit
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- State Auditor Dave Boliek plans to audit the Opportunity Scholarship program.
- The program served a record 106,841 students and distributed $587.5 million this year.
- The program tripled in spending and enrollment after opening to all families for 2024-25.
State Auditor Dave Boliek plans to audit the Opportunity Scholarship program that’s providing taxpayer funding to help cover the cost for more than 100,000 students to attend private schools.
The audit comes as the private school voucher program has tripled in both funding and the number of students over the two years since Republican lawmakers opened up the program to all families. The majority of North Carolina’s private school students are now getting an Opportunity Scholarship.
News of the audit was first reported Friday by The Assembly.
“Our office audits all sorts of government entities, including school districts, state agencies, government programs, community colleges, public universities, and local municipalities,” Randy Brechbiel, a spokesperson for the State Auditor’s Office, said in a statement Friday to The News & Observer. “The Opportunity Scholarship Program falls within our scope and the State Auditor’s Office will be taking a look at the program and its operations.
“We would like to have the audit complete by fall, but it depends on the amount of work required and other projects in the pipeline.”
The North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority, the agency that administers the Opportunity Scholarship program, did not immediately return The N&O’s request for comment Friday.
Massive expansion in voucher program since 2024
The state has been giving Opportunity Scholarships to help families cover private school costs since 2014. The program was initially promoted by Republican lawmakers as a way to help low-income families pay for private schools to escape low-performing public schools.
But the program was opened to all families beginning in the 2024-25 school year. It fueled a sharp expansion in the program as many private schools encouraged existing families to get vouchers.
The voucher expansion has allowed some private schools to raise tuition, reduce the amount they spend on financial assistance and embark on expansion programs.
The voucher numbers fluctuate monthly. But as of May, there were a record 106,841 students receiving $587.5 million this school year from the Opportunity Scholarship program. That’s compared to $185.6 million provided for 32,549 students in the 2023-24 school year.
State lawmakers have pledged to raise funding for the program to $875 million a year by 2032.
Will audit provide transparency to voucher program?
The new audit could put Boliek, a first-term Republican, at odds with members of his own party. Republican lawmakers have rejected calls over the years from Democratic lawmakers to expand Opportunity Scholarship reporting requirements. For instance, there’s no publicly reported data on the test performance of the voucher students.
But one supporter of the program, Mike Long, president of Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina, had only praise for the idea of auditing it
“PEFNC welcomes the State Auditor’s review of the Opportunity Scholarship Program and believes transparency and accountability are essential to maintaining public trust,” Long said in a statement Friday. “As the NC General Assembly continues to make historic investments in educational freedom for North Carolina families, it is important to ensure those resources are safeguarded, administered responsibly, and positioned for long-term success so students can continue to benefit for years to come.”
The audit was also welcomed by Heather Koons, a spokesperson for Public Schools First NC, which is critical of the program.
“I’m glad it’s happening,” Koons said in an interview Friday. “I think it’s an important step for transparency and accountability of this very overfunded voucher program.”
Koons said she hopes the Auditor’s Office will follow up on a 2023 report by the N.C. Justice Center that found some private schools were reporting more voucher students than what was listed for their total enrollment.
“There are just no guardrails at all around the program, and that should concern anyone who is concerned about responsible use of taxpayer dollars,” Koons said.
This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 5:56 PM with the headline "NC’s private school voucher program will get a state audit."
