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More than 40,000 North Carolina students have applied so far to receive state funding to attend a K-12 private school next fall. Twice as many could still apply to renew vouchers they received this school year.

Five years after the pandemic, 101 North Carolina public school districts still have fewer students than before. Falling enrollment appears here to stay, but school choice isn’t the only reason why.

State senators finalized an override of Governor Roy Cooper’s veto of House Bill 10, which significantly expands funding for private school vouchers, known as Opportunity Scholarships, over the next decade.

North Carolina lawmakers are expected to vote this week on a veto override of a bill that would commit nearly $6.5 billion in state funding for private school vouchers over the next decade. The Opportunity Scholarships have evolved over the past decade from a small $10 million pilot program, to a major budget expense that could transform education in the state.

75 vouchers will be available to all Raleigh residents. They will receive a $500 voucher, good for the purchase of a new e-bike. Another 75 will be reserved for people with low incomes.

Other cities around the country—including Denver, Austin, and Burlington, Vermont, have launched similar voucher programs.

Education spending is far and away the lion's share of the state budget. This budget also includes some important changes to policy that will impact the…