North Carolina Democrat Governor Roy Cooper Declares “State of Emergency” to Oppose School Choice Bill
Governor Roy Cooper (D-NC) declared a “state of emergency” on Monday, aiming to prevent a school choice bill from passing the state legislature.
Senate Bill 406, also known as “Choose Your School, Choose Your Future,” is an initiative to make opportunity scholarships (also known as “vouchers”) available to families of all income levels. This would allow parents to use public school fund allocated for their children and use it to send them to a private school of their choosing.
The bill will also require public schools to allow students to graduate from high school in three years, instead of four.
“Today’s a great day for kids – and that’s what this bill is about,” said the lead sponsor of the bill, Sen. Michael Lee (R-New Hanover), at a press conference.
“Constituents continually support increased school choice and more access to educational options for families,” Amy Galey (R-Alamance), one of the bill’s principal sponsors, said in response to an email from WGHP. “Not every school is a good fit for every child, and when there is a disconnect, the parents should have options to be sure that their child is learning and growing appropriately.”