Written by Don Byrd
North Carolina’s school voucher system (“opportunity scholarships,” they are called) received another set back yesterday when the state’s Supreme Court denied a request to release voucher funds for distribution to parents while an appeals court considers the program’s constitutionality.
A trial court judge recently ruled the program unconstitutional, emphasizing that it sends taxpayer funds to schools that are not bound by state regulations. The judge also noted that the program improperly “allows funding of nonpublic schools that discriminate on account of religion.”
State officials immediately appealed, and asked for the funds to be released while the case is being considered. Yesterday’s decision by the North Carolina Supreme Court means the program will remain halted while the case works its way through the state’s court system. Associated Press reports “the court offered little explanation for the Tuesday’s decision.”
