Political blogger Gary Pearce takes a look at what educator Justin Parmenter has found about North Carolina voucher schools.
He found that the state’s top voucher recipient – Grace Christian in Sanford, which got almost $2.5 million – boasts that its educational objective isn’t academic, it’s “to lead the student to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.”
He reported that Fayetteville Christian School, which got $1.3 million in tax dollars, says in its Admission Requirements:
“The student and at least one parent with whom the student resides must be in full agreement with the FCS Statement of Faith and have received Jesus Christ as their Savior. In addition, the parent and student must regularly fellowship in a local faith based, Bible believing church.”
The school “will not admit families that belong to or express faith in non-Christian religions such as, but not limited to, Mormons (LDS Church), Jehovah’s Witnesses, Muslim (Islam), non-Messianic Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, etc.”
Students and parents cannot engage in “behaviors that Scripture defines as deviate (sic) and perverted,” such as “sexual promiscuity” or “homosexuality (LGBT).”
These are typical examples of private religious schools getting public tax dollars – $133.9 million this year and more than $400 million since 2014.
The budget passed last week double spending on vouchers, to $263.5 million. Next year, it would be $354.5 million. It would top $400 million the year after that and rise above $500 million by the end of the decade.
