Asheville: NC Teacher Pay Raises and Private School Vouchers in Focus for Legislative Candidates

Asheville: NC Teacher Pay Raises and Private School Vouchers in Focus for Legislative Candidates

Divided Opinions on Teacher Pay Raises and Private School Vouchers

How much of a raise should North Carolina public school teachers get? Should the state add hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer money to a program sending children to private schools? Those are the key questions at the forefront of the General Assembly’s discussions, leading to an impasse in late June on the efforts to amend the state’s annual budget. While no new legislation on teacher pay or private school vouchers is expected soon, the issues will certainly carry into campaigns for the Nov. 5 election for N.C. State House and State Senate.

The Citizen Times collected the stances of legislative candidates running to represent districts in Buncombe County.

Background on Teacher Pay

Last year, lawmakers enacted legislation that will give teachers an average 3% pay raise starting with the July 1 fiscal year. However, with high teacher turnover rates— including at Asheville City Schools, the system with the state’s worst attrition rate—Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper called for an 8.5% average pay increase. The Republican-majority House mostly ignored the governor’s proposal, passing a budget last month calling for a 4.4% raise. The Senate, also with a GOP majority, more recently passed a budget with only the base 3% raise.

While the two GOP-led legislative chambers disagree on the pay issue, they agree on increasing money for vouchers. The voucher program, which started in 2014 with $10.8 million, has grown by hundreds of millions of dollars. Legislators said they wanted to add nearly $500 million in the coming fiscal year, although that action is currently stalled. Wealthy families now qualify for vouchers as income caps were eliminated from the program, leading to concerns about siphoning funding from public schools.

Candidates’ Stances in Buncombe County

N.C. Senate District 46 (East, north and west Buncombe County, McDowell and Burke counties)

Democratic challenger and former N.C. House Rep. John Ager of Fairview backed the 8.5% raises, supporting the governor’s budget on teacher pay to keep N.C. competitive in the region. Ager would support vouchers only to accredited private schools that were strictly means tested and for pre-K students to free up parents to work.

Incumbent Republican Sen. Warren Daniel of Morganton voted for the Senate budget that included the base 3% raise and additional voucher money. He highlighted that teacher turnover is a national problem that requires comprehensive solutions beyond just salary increases or bonuses.

N.C. Senate District 49 (Central and southern Buncombe County including Asheville)

Incumbent Democratic Sen. Julie Mayfield of Asheville voted against the budget and expressed disapproval of giving taxpayer dollars to wealthy families for private school vouchers. She raised concerns about the lack of mandatory standards in private schools compared to public schools.

Republican challenger Kristie Sluder of Reems Creek did not provide specific responses about vouchers or teacher pay raises but emphasized the importance of fair compensation for teachers and empowering parents in the education system.

N.C. House District 114 (Eastern and south central Buncombe County)

Incumbent Democratic Rep. Eric Ager of Fairview criticized the House budget for providing a paltry 3% raise to state workers while allocating more funds to the voucher program. He viewed the House bill as a “show budget” that lacked genuine intentions.

Republican challenger Sherry M. Higgins of Arden voiced support for a 4.4% teacher pay increase and school vouchers distributed in a fair and equitable manner. She emphasized the need for improvements in the N.C. public education system to ensure quality education for all students.

N.C. House District 115 (Western, northern and northeastern Buncombe County)

Incumbent Democratic Rep. Lindsey Prather of Candler opposed the budget, citing inadequate raises to match inflation and the detrimental impact of vouchers on most students. Prather emphasized the importance of supporting and prioritizing resources for public schools.

Republican challenger Ruth Smith of North Buncombe expressed a desire to see increased teacher pay but did not respond to questions about specific raise amounts or vouchers. Smith highlighted the significance of the public school system based on her experience as a parent of two boys in public schools.

N.C. House District 116 (Central Buncombe County including most of Asheville)

In the race without an incumbent, Democrat and former Rep. Brian Turner of Asheville supported the governor’s 8.5% pay raise proposal and opposed the voucher system, citing concerns about oversight and potential misuse of funds. Turner advocated for redirecting voucher funds to enhance public school resources.

These divergent views on teacher pay raises and private school vouchers among Buncombe County legislative candidates highlight the ongoing debates and challenges within the North Carolina education system, signaling important considerations for voters in the upcoming elections.

This article was reported by HERE NEWS.