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Trump signs order seeking to end federal funding for NPR and PBS; NY immigrant wrongfully sent to El Salvador 'supermax' prison; PA 'Day of Action' planned for higher minimum wage, immigrants' rights; New bill in Congress seeks to overturn CA animal welfare law.

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National Security Advisor Mike Waltz is leaving that job to become UN ambassador, bipartisan Arizona poll finds Latino voters dissatisfied by Trump's first 100 days, and Florida mass deportations frighten community members.

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Rural students who face hurdles going to college are getting noticed, Native Alaskans may want to live off the land but obstacles like climate change loom large, and the Cherokee language is being preserved by kids in North Carolina.

NC Private School Vouchers Upheld in State Supreme Court

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Friday, July 24, 2015   

RALEIGH, N.C. - Public money can continue to be used for vouchers to pay for private schools, the North Carolina Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

The program was challenged by public-school advocates who argued it was unconstitutional and removes needed resources from public schools.

Yevonne Brannon, who chairs Public Schools First North Carolina, said she is disheartened by the ruling.

"Public schools in North Carolina will never, ever be the same," she said. "When I finished reading the ruling at the very last page, all I could think about was God help us, because we're going to be in a mess. We're going to tear apart our solid foundation for public schools."

This year, more than 5,000 applications for the vouchers have been submitted. Supporters of the voucher program, put in place in 2013, say it empowers low-income parents to afford a private education for their child. The program offers vouchers of up to $4,200 in this coming academic year. To be eligible, a family of four would have to make no more than $59,000 annually.

Brannon said private schools are not held to the same education standards as are public schools, and insisted that the practice violates the state Constitution.

"Our Constitution, I believe, does not allow for using public funds for private purposes," she said.

According to the National Education Association, a compilation of research indicates that vouchers do not significantly expand choices for parents.

Indiana has a similar voucher program in place and, according to Brannon, pays $116 million to send 29,000 students to private and religious schools.

The full court decision is online at appellate.nccourts.org. The NEA research is at nea.org.


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