The North Carolina General Assembly is working to fund public schools by passing the new thirty-billion-dollar budget on Sept. 22, 2023. This law will devote more money to private and Christian schools than ever before. Many of the resources public schools need to succeed are being cut leading to some teachers leaving the state from the lack of general wellness in their work environments.

“They’ve made it to where the wealthiest of the wealthy are getting tax money back to attend private school again while public schools like Athens are struggling with bus drivers and basic needs that we have,” said Eric Luffman, economics teacher at Athens Drive.

Some areas of the budget have received additional funding—aspects like the expansion of health care like Medicaid being more affordable and available. Additionally, private school vouchers through the Opportunity Scholarship Program were added to give students and families who cannot afford private education the ability to do so.

According to NC Newsline’s writer Greg Childress’s article titled Democrats make a final, unsuccessful push against school voucher expansion.

The budget also calls for teeming 500 million dollars per year over the two years into the controversial “Opportunity Scholarship” Program. Although private schools are receiving vouchers to distribute to families who need financial help attending them, the public still pays money for the families who can comfortably afford to attend private schools. They’ve made it to where the wealthiest of the wealthy receive money from taxes back to keep attending private schools while public schools have been struggling with basic needs

“It seems like the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction has vouchers that will wind up going to families that are already going and paying for private schools. How much of a factor of that is unfair with this money going to vouchers and how does that affect the diversion of funds and is there a negative effect on public schools?” said Christopher Labuda, computer science teacher at Athens Drive. 

With all of this information to consider, some sides are giving light to the spread of  Medicare to people across North Carolina. The future of Medicaid expansion was hinging on this budget and now that it has passed, the expansion of Medicaid as a whole in North Carolina has become more affordable for people with the passing of this budget. Another part of the budget that was heavily observed by teachers specifically was the 7% pay raise increasing teachers’ salaries as well.

“We were one of the last states to approve the expansion of Medicaid so that’s a big positive. I think that it’s going to help a lot of the folks that can’t afford insurance for whatever their circumstance may be to be able to get some pretty necessary health care” said Luffman.