After 11 years of operation and $1.6 million in taxpayer dollars spent, the state’s largest voucher program gets its first state audit.

RALEIGH, NC, UNITED STATES, June 10, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- North Carolina State Auditor Dave Bolieck’s office has announced that it is conducting an audit of the Opportunity Scholarship voucher program. According to Randy Brechbiel, a spokesperson for the State Auditor’s Office, “We would like to have the audit complete by fall, but it depends on the amount of work required and other projects in the pipeline.”

The news of a state audit was welcomed by critics of the voucher program such as Public Schools First North Carolina, who have pointed out the program’s lack of transparency and accountability. (1) Public school advocates hope for a rigorous audit and a comprehensive public report that includes the evaluation/audit criteria and data used. Arizona’s state auditor recently released a report outlining multiple examples of misuse of taxpayer dollars in their voucher program.

In response to questions, State Auditor Bolieck said, “The mission of the State Auditor’s Office is to provide oversight and accountability of entities receiving public funds, and the Opportunity Scholarship Program falls under that category. This is a relatively new program that receives significant appropriations to provide families with expanded educational options. It is advantageous to families, students, and North Carolinians that we evaluate initiatives like the Opportunity Scholarship program to ensure they are delivering on intent.” (2)

Opportunity Scholarships (OS) were initially intended for low-income families to opt out of their local public school. Eligibility was limited to families with incomes no greater than 133% of the federal free/reduced lunch eligibility income; only students who had been enrolled in a public school the previous year (except K-1) could apply.

Subsequent legislation removed the income requirements and the requirement for prior public-school enrollment. Current voucher legislation also includes no requirements for student academic achievement, teacher qualifications, or guardrails to ensure that state funds are used for educational purposes.

The Office of the State Auditor (OSA) website states that, “OSA thoroughly investigates alleged cases of fraud, waste, and abuse of taxpayer dollars, working with law enforcement on prosecution when warranted.” (3)

Public school advocates hope the audit will provide clarity on what constitutes fraud, waste, and abuse of taxpayer dollars. For example, Word of Faith Fellowship has been investigated for being a cult and is featured in an HBO documentary on cults. (4) Word of Faith Academy in Rutherford County has no website on record with the Division of Non-Public Education and provides no publicly available information about the school, but it shares a physical address with Word of Faith Fellowship. (5) The church’s pastor, Jane Whaley, is listed as the administrator for Word of Faith Academy. So far this year, the school has received more than $400,000 in taxpayer tuition voucher payments from the state.

How will auditors respond to schools that charge different tuition rates for students of different religious beliefs? Cardinal Gibbons High School in Wake County charges $20,395/year for non-Catholic students and drops the rate to $15,150/year for Catholic students. (6) The school has already received $4 million in tuition vouchers from the state this year. (7)

Will auditors take issue with schools that require families to apply for a voucher? For example, Grace Christian School in Lee County requires all families to apply for an OS voucher as part of its application process. (8) The school then adds its own financial aid package to the state funds to more than double the financial aid package for the family.

State auditors will have access to much more information on voucher-accepting private schools and their students than is currently available to the public, including graduation rates, academic tests administered, and student test scores. The auditors can use this information to evaluate whether the schools receiving the voucher funds are providing an adequate education to their students or are abusing/misusing state funds.

The State Auditor’s website reads, “We encourage all members of the public with information on improper government conduct to inform OSA through the safe and secure Tipline.”

Those who have knowledge of fraud and waste should help inform the audit by reporting it immediately to the NC Tipline.

1. PSFNC: https://www.icontact-archive.com/archive?c=1405546&f=4119&s=4224&m=1162118&t=4af5348088e3a68e490208101fad3dac06821ff0df09dd2bfda8ca1a214c3448
2. State auditory launches audit: https://www.cbs17.com/news/capitol-report/state-auditor-launches-audit-of-north-carolinas-school-voucher-program/
3. About the office of state auditor: https://www.auditor.nc.gov/about-office-state-auditor
4. Cults: Word of Faith Documentary: https://www.hbomax.com/shows/people-magazine-investigates-cults/s2/ce46683d-8ce9-467c-9b90-73eaaf27c8c9/e6-word-of-faith/207ed63b-d8f7-4fc9-81d3-8cdc8a6aef07
5. Word of Faith Fellowship: https://wordoffaithfellowship.org/christian-school/the-school/
6. Cardinal Gibbons High School: https://www.cghsnc.org/
7. NCSEAA: https://www.ncseaa.edu/opportunity-scholarship-summary-of-data/
8. Grace Christian School: https://www.gracechristiansanford.com/admissions/the-admissions-process/
9. Grace Christian School Tuition Calculator: https://www.gracechristiansanford.com/admissions/tuition-calculator/

Heather Koons
Public Schools First NC
info@publicschoolsfirstnc.org
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