North Carolina GOP leaders reach spending deal to clear private school voucher waitlist

Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — 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. The program experienced an application surge last year when the General Assembly eliminated income caps to qualify. That left a sizeable waitlist of children because of a lack of initial funding. Now lawmakers say the additional funding will clear the waitlist. Another bill that forces sheriffs to comply with federal immigration agents’ request to hold inmates was also included in the proposal.