RALEIGH -- The first of millions of taxpayer dollars in payments have been sent to private and religious schools across North Carolina while an appeals court considers a judge's ruling that a new scholarship program for low-income public school children is unconstitutional on several levels. Darrell Allison with Parents for Educational Freedom says blocking the first year at time time was unfair.

Allison said, "We had over 300 private schools that participate in this program. We had about 1900 students, many of them in the classroom."

The State Educational Assistance Authority has started issuing about  about $1.1 million began  to 109 private schools last Friday. The money was disbursed a week after the state Court of Appeals allowed funds those who qualified for and accepted grants of up to $4,200. The appeals court blocked the rest of the program pending a decision on whether the program meets the state constitution.