RALEIGH, N.C. — With North Carolina’s primary election day on March 5, voters are figuring out which candidates they want on the ballot come November.

Spectrum News 1 is covering topics that are top of mind on both sides of the aisle. One issue Republican gubernatorial candidates have zeroed in on is school choice.

What You Need To Know

  • North Carolina’s primary election day is on March 5, and Spectrum News is taking a look at some of the key issues in each district

  • School choice is a term for educational options that allow families to select alternatives for their children outside the traditional public school setting

  • In 2023, North Carolina became the 10th state in the nation to offer taxpayer-funded Opportunity Scholarships, which can be used to attend private schools

  • All three Republican candidates for the GOP gubernatorial race have voiced support for school choice, with their exact comments below

In the Republican primary, three candidates are vying for their party’s nomination, including: Lt. Governor Mark Robinson, State Treasurer Dale Folwell and attorney and businessman Bill Graham.

All candidates have voiced support for school choice, which is a term for educational options that allow families to select alternative options for their kids instead of the traditional public-school setting.

It's a topic of fiery debate across the country, with parents like Becky Lew-Hobbs advocating for settings that best fit her individual children.

Lew-Hobbs and her husband have three children with varying educational needs, and has tried everything from traditional public school, to homeschooling and now one of them attends a public charter school in Wake County.

She shared one of her son’s experiences and why charter school better aligned with his educational success, saying, “He has a lot of anxiety problems, and he needed something much smaller. Public school didn't offer that. Homeschooling didn't give him enough social interaction.”

Opponents of school choice say state vouchers, used to help pay for private school options, takes money away from traditional public schools that are already dealing with staffing and funding issues.

School voucher programs have been criticized, because they can result in taxpayer money going to private schools. That money is allocated to educational facilities based off student enrollment numbers.

In September, North Carolina became the 10th state in the nation to offer taxpayer-funded universal school choice through the Opportunity Scholarship program, which are awarded based on income guidelines. 

Democratic lawmakers opposed the move in the new state budget, and Governor Roy Cooper let the budget become law without his signature.

Lew-Hobbs says she will be researching all GOP candidates carefully to see their stance on school choice before casting her ballot.

“A candidate has to support that. Parents have the right to direct the upbringing and care of their children. Not the state, not a politician, not some organization. It's the parents,” she said.

She's so passionate about the issue, she ran for school board for Wake County District 4 in 2022 and is a leader in the local chapter of Moms for Liberty. 

Spectrum News 1 asked the three Republican candidates for their stance on school choice.

A spokesperson for Republican frontrunner, Lt. Governor Mark Robinson, said, “Mark Robinson is a strong supporter of school choice. Education funding should focus on students, not bureaucracies and politics.”

State Treasurer Dale Folwell said, “Good government starts at home with parents being parents. As governor, I will favor choice in education with all taxpayer money being accounted for.”

A spokesperson for attorney and businessman Bill Graham said, “Bill Graham believes your kids are not owned by the state. Parents need a say in their kids’ education and that is why he supports school choice.”