The Caucus: Public Funds, Private Schools

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Public Funds, Private Schools

Two years ago, the General Assembly’s Republican majority dramatically expanded a program subsidizing private school tuition. Ever since, questions have swirled around the consequences for public schools and the state’s fiscal health. 

But the voucher change wasn’t the only provision benefiting private schools. 

In the same budget bill, Republicans gave grants to two private schools for capital projects aimed at growing their enrollment—which appears to be a first for North Carolina and perhaps the country. Lawmakers earmarked $100,000 for Carolina Christian Academy in Thomasville to remodel its preschool and $375,000 for The School of Hope in Fayetteville to buy a parcel of land for expansion.

House Speaker Destin Hall and Senate leader Phil Berger did not respond to The Assembly’s questions about the appropriations and whether they represent a larger effort to help grow private school capacity here. 

“Conservatives are seeing their moment to crack public funding for religious schools,” said Adam Laats, an associate professor at Binghamton University who specializes in the evolution of conservative thinking about K-12 education.

The strategy has been to “throw everything at the wall,” including appropriations that once seemed unthinkable, Laats said.

— Carli Brosseau

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Thanks for reading The Caucus, a politics newsletter anchored by Bryan Anderson. Reach us with tips or ideas at politics@theassemblync.com.

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Flag Burning With a Side of Potato Salad

Firestorm Books, an anarchist bookstore collective in Asheville, capped off Labor Day with a potluck and burning the American Flag. 

The event was organized in response to President Donald Trump’s August 25 executive order declaring that his administration will “prosecute those who incite violence or otherwise violate our laws” while burning the flag. (His order suggested it was not meant to infringe upon First Amendment rights the Supreme Court has previously upheld—leading to confusion about how it would actually be enforced.)

Asheville resident and veteran Jay Carey was also arrested after burning a flag in front of the White House last week. (His official charge was for violating an order prohibiting unauthorized fires on federal property.)  

Flag burning is “a symbolic transgression that we hope contributes to dispelling the myth that Trump is strong and in control,” the collective that led the event wrote in an email to The Assembly. 

Advertised as an “all ages” event, it attracted about 50 people, wearing T-shirts with slogans like “Books, not guns” and “Cats against catcalls.” After an hour of noshing on potato salad, chips, and hummus, a Firestorm member brought out a box of small flags and a firepit.

Attendee Elsa Enstrom fondly recalled her father organizing flag burnings when George H.W. Bush was elected. She said she came to Firestorm’s flag burning “to show that I’m not afraid of the totalitarian dictator.”

Megan Ratcliff brought her 3-year-old to the event, which she said she joined for the community. She and her toddler both tossed a flag into the firepit. It felt “symbolic,” she said. “An action of our distress.”

— Jessica Wakeman

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Say What(ley)

Michael Whatley, who until last month served as chair of the Republican National Committee, is happy to campaign on Republicans’ reconciliation bill. That’s a departure from Thom Tillis, the retiring Republican senator Whatley’s running to replace, who saw it as a political liability.

And it’s just one of several ways that Whatley, the candidate Republicans have coalesced around, is embracing the MAGA agenda. 

While that political strategy carries a level of risk in a battleground state like North Carolina, Whatley told our partners at NOTUS that he has little concern.

“People forget President Trump carried North Carolina three times. It is the only one of the seven battleground states that he won all three times,” Whatley said. “And so having his support, as his endorsed candidate, with his complete, total endorsement, is really, truly important, not just in the primary but also in the general.”

— Reese Gorman

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RIP: In Friday’s newsletter, Bryan wrote about discovering his new favorite Eastern North Carolina BBQ at Grady’s Barbecue in Dudley. A reader flagged to us that pitmaster Steve Grady recently died at age 90. The News & Observer has a nice obituary.

Let us know what’s on your radar at politics@theassemblync.com.

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