NC Supreme Court says vouchers are constitutional

RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina Supreme Court ruled 4-3 Thursday that the state's voucher program that gives taxpayer support for low-income students to attend private schools is constitutional.

"Our review is limited to a determination of whether plaintiffs have demonstrated that the program legislation plainly and clearly violates our constitution," Chief Justice Mark Martin wrote for the majority. "Plaintiffs have made no such showing in this case. Accordingly, the trial court erred in declaring the Opportunity Scholarship Program unconstitutional."

The court's ruling reverses Superior Court Judge Robert Hobgood's 2014 ruling that the program ran afoul of requirements that the state provide a sound basic education to all students. Hobgood found that the voucher program is problematic because private schools can discriminate in their admissions and don't have the same curriculum and teacher certification standards as public schools.

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In her dissent, Associate Justice Robin Hudson said that the Opportunity Scholarship program does not meet the requirement that taxpayer funds be used for only public purposes. She referenced the long-running "Leandro" case, in which the court has hectored North Carolina lawmakers to do more to ensure schools are properly funded.


Read more at http://www.wral.com/nc-supreme-court-says-vouchers-are-constitutional/14791349/#y4rjv417Rpd3mKAA.99

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