School choice is advancing in leaps and bounds, and politicians should take note. Legislators who insist on toeing the monopolist’s party line may not be in power for long.
As reported two months ago, 2023 has seen Arkansas, Iowa, Utah, and Florida establish universal school choice programs, giving all parents in those states control over the spending of their state’s education monies. According to the EdChoice dashboard, as of April 23, there were 12 states with education savings accounts (ESAs), 26 voucher programs in 15 states, and 25 tax-credit scholarship programs in 21 states. However, this momentum has only accelerated.
On April 26, Indiana expanded its voucher program so nearly all students will be eligible. The state raised the income cap to 400 percent of the free- and reduced-price lunch income level, now approximately $220,000 for a family of four. The bill also removes other eligibility criteria, allowing any family under the income limit to apply. A legislative analysis projects that some 95,000 students might use the program in 2025, up from about 53,000 in 2023. Betsy Wiley of the Institute for Quality Education noted that early estimates suggest only 3.5% of families with school-age children in Indiana would not qualify under the new income limit.
On May 25, Oklahoma enacted a universal choice law. Gov. Kevin Stitt stated, “School choice shouldn’t be just for the rich or those who can afford it. Now it’s available for every single family in the state of Oklahoma.” At least $5,000 will go to parents opting for private schools or homeschooling.
On May 30, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen signed into law Nebraska’s first-ever school choice bill, a tax credit program. The American Federation of Children detailed that students from lower-income families, those with special needs, victims of bullying, military families, foster care children, and others denied option enrollment into non-zone public schools are eligible for scholarships.
Additionally, Texas, Ohio, and several other states are in the process of establishing new private choice programs for parents.
The education monopolists are furious over the choice wave and are resisting aggressively. In Nebraska, a ballot referendum repealing the tax credit law was filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State. The effort, led by “Support Our Schools” and backed by the Nebraska State Educational Association, seeks to place the issue before voters in 2024. Jenni Benson, president of the NSEA, stated, “Our goal is to give Nebraskans the opportunity to vote to repeal this harmful bill.”
Critics argue that tax credit programs disproportionately benefit the wealthy, but this claim is misleading. Taxpayers receive a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit for contributions to scholarship-granting organizations (SGOs). For example, a taxpayer owing $10,000 in taxes can redirect half to an SGO while paying the remaining half to the government. The taxpayer still pays $10,000 total, meaning no actual tax break occurs.
In Arizona, Democrats, including Governor Katie Hobbs and teacher union allies, demand a rollback of ESA vouchers, claiming they are “bankrupting” schools. However, Matt Beienburg of the Goldwater Institute countered that public school costs over the next decade will far exceed ESA expenses, calling the “bankrupting” accusation unfounded.
In North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper declared a “state of emergency in education” after the legislature eased voucher access, accusing Republicans of trying to “starve public education.”
On the charter school front, Oklahoma approved the country’s first religious charter school in early June. The Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board cleared the way for St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School to open in 2024, incorporating religious curriculum. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond called the move unconstitutional, while American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten argued it violates the separation of church and state.
Supporters counter that public schools historically promoted Protestant values, and the Supreme Court’s Carson v. Makin decision in 2022 allowed religious schools to receive funding if other private institutions do. The fate of Oklahoma’s charter school program is likely to be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.
School choice is advancing in leaps and bounds, and politicians should take note. Legislators who insist on toeing the monopolist’s party line may not be in power for long.
