Rebuttal to Public Ed Works

Public Ed Works published “Bringing Back Exclusion: NC’s School Voucher Program.” This article is full of factual errors and economic and logical fallacies. It warrants rebuttal. It is written by J. Drew Tonissen, author of “The Resegregation Racket.”

Tonissen claims that in 2013 Opportunity Scholarships were sold to the public under the guise of helping “low income” and “disabled” students, starting out with $10 million and a low-income cap as “bait” for a much-expanded program for white wealthy parents. The 2013 legislation was constrained by fiscal limits. Proponents at the time wanted a program that would serve low- and middle-income families who needed the scholarships to afford tuition. Appropriators were not sure that the program would actually save the state and county money, so they chose to start small with a pilot program.

Disabled students are covered by a separate program, ESA+, that began two years earlier in 2011 with much larger grants. That program never had an income cap. It was never challenged in court nor legislatively. It is hugely popular.

Tonissen claims that there are negative educational outcomes for scholarship students, that there are no measures of accountability and no information is available to the public about whether such students have made academic progress or have fallen behind. Not true. A study conducted by professors at NC State University and the Friday Institute found that Opportunity Scholars scored higher on standardized tests in reading, math and language compared to their public school peers. The researchers wrote that Opportunity Scholars showed a “positive, large and statistically significant” effect in math, reading and language. The authors cautioned that test participants comprised only a small percentage of the students then receiving the scholarships.

In a 2016 Friedman Foundation Report by Greg Forster, 31 out of 33 peer-reviewed studies found that a school choice program improves the outcome for public-school students in the neighboring area. One report found no effect and one found a negative effect.

Tonissen complains that discrimination on the basis of race is the same as the purpose of, many schools which started in the late ’50s and early ’60s, and that purpose is still present. Does he not realize that the statute creating Opportunity Scholarships forbids “discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin?” Does he not realize that 21% of Opportunity Scholars are African American or Hispanic?

In 2023 and 2024, I represented two dozen private Christian schools which were required to give depositions or produce documents about their policies on discrimination. My review of their records showed all but one was thoroughly integrated by race. One exception was a small school oriented only to disadvantaged students. It was all African American in practice but wants to integrate.

Tonissen claims that the Opportunity Scholarship is mostly about helping wealthy white families who don’t need it. Does he not realize that two-thirds of the scholarship money goes to families in Tier One (poor) and Tier Two (getting by)? The maximum income for a family of four is $61,050 and $122,160, respectively. Does he not realize that Tier Four (wealthy) families only receive 11% of the funding although they are 18% of the scholarships? Tier Three families with a household income limit of $274,725 for a family of four (doing fine but not wealthy) receive 23% of the scholarship money.

Tonissen claims that “average” yearly tuition for private schools in North Carolina is $13,177. Where did he get that number? It is wildly too high. Very expensive private schools generally do not accept Opportunity Scholarships. A group of top academic quality schools, Thales Academies in expensive Wake County charge tuition and fees of around $7,000. Catholic schools generally charge $9,640. Other Christian schools average $6,708 to $7,870 (depending on grade level). Some private Christian schools charge $10,000 and accept Opportunity Scholarships. Generally they also provide financial aid of their own on top of the Opportunity Scholarships.

Tonissen claims that schools “lose funding for every student who leaves with a voucher leaving our traditional schools hollowed out.” Does he not realize that public schools also lose the expense of educating that child? When savings to counties for capital and for local supplements are considered, with savings to the state, public schools lose no funding.

Tonissen claims that Opportunity Scholarship schools lack accountability. Many point out that private schools need not be accredited. True. But public schools also are not required to be accredited. Most Opportunity Scholars are in elementary school. Accreditation for public elementary schools is rare. Accreditation is often meaningless. Forty-three traditional public high schools were committing “academic genocide,” declared Judge Manning in Leandro. These 43 schools were also “accredited.” Accreditation can be a worthy goal, depending on the criteria used. It can also be a useless expense if it measures inputs rather than outputs.

Private schools do not administer the state “end-of-grade” tests. But private schools are required to administer nationally normed tests on grammar, reading and math (annually for Opportunity Scholars). Nationally normed tests paint a truer picture than the state “end-of-grade” test. I urge our public schools to use nationally normed tests. We can then compare performance on these tests with the academic performance of Opportunity Scholars.

Public Ed Works should face up to reality and not employ misinformed ideologues as writers.

Paul Stam was a member of the North Carolina House for 16 years, the last 10 as Republican leader and speaker pro tem. He practices law in Apex.