PSFNC report says most NC voucher schools use biblical worldview curriculum

Public Schools First NC says a new report finds most North Carolina private schools receiving voucher dollars teach curriculum based on a biblical worldview. The group argues the state needs more oversight as lawmakers have spent more than $1.6 billion on Opportunity Scholarship vouchers since 2014.

Why it matters: - Public Schools First NC says North Carolina taxpayers are funding private schools with little curriculum oversight. - The report argues that voucher spending should be tied to clearer academic standards, especially for students whose education must still meet compulsory schooling requirements. - The findings raise questions about whether voucher-funded schools are preparing students for college and careers.

What happened: - Public Schools First NC released an updated report titled NC K-12 Private Schools 2025-26: A Review of Curriculum. - The report examines curriculum used in North Carolina’s 703 K-12 private schools that received taxpayer-funded tuition vouchers in the 2025-26 school year. - The group says the majority of voucher-receiving private schools use a biblical worldview curriculum. - The report says those schools received over $589 in taxpayer-funded tuition vouchers in the 2025-26 school year. - North Carolina lawmakers have spent more than $1.6 billion on Opportunity Scholarship vouchers since the program launched in 2014.

The details: - State law requires little oversight of schools that receive voucher money. - North Carolina law includes no curriculum guidelines or standards for voucher-receiving private schools. - Public schools must choose curriculum aligned with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. - The Standard Course of Study is designed to prepare students for postsecondary college and career options. - The report is modeled on research completed in 2017 by the North Carolina League of Women Voters of the Lower Cape Fear. - The report cites education experts who worry biblical worldview curriculum may not match the academic content and rigor required by the state standards. - Those experts also question whether that curriculum prepares students for postsecondary options.

Between the lines: - The report frames the voucher debate as more than a funding issue. It is also a standards and accountability issue. - The contrast with public schools is central to the argument. Public schools face curriculum rules, while voucher-receiving private schools do not. - The report suggests the state may be paying for education without knowing whether the instruction meets widely accepted readiness benchmarks.

What's next: - The report recommends that the North Carolina General Assembly create a commission to study the curriculum taught at private schools receiving voucher funds. - The proposed commission would evaluate whether biblical worldview curriculum and other voucher-school curriculum meet learning standards needed for students to succeed after high school. - The recommendation points to possible future debate over voucher oversight and curriculum review in North Carolina.

The bottom line: - PSFNC says North Carolina’s voucher program is expanding faster than the state’s ability to judge the quality of the instruction it subsidizes.