Democrats say they’re pro-choice. Unless, of course, that means families getting to choose to send their children to a non-public school. This week in Congress, a number of Democrats made it clear that in that case, they are very much against choice.
Last summer, Congress passed the first-ever federal school choice program as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill. The Education Freedom Tax Credit program is designed to improve access to public school alternatives without using more tax dollars. Under the program, if an individual donates money to a Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO), a nonprofit that helps low-income students afford private school tuition or other educational alternatives, that individual is eligible for a tax credit up to $1700. By incentivizing private donations, these SGOs will have more financial resources to help more students break free from the public school system.
Another benefit of the program is that participation is entirely voluntary for states. Each state that wants to must opt in, and the opt-in is only valid for one year. So if a state tests it out and decides it does not work for their students, they do not have to renew it the next year. It is also within a state’s prerogative not to opt in. Thus far, 30 states have opted in for 2027, including blue states Colorado and New York. This program is the essence of choice – donations to SGOs are voluntary, state participation is voluntary, and usage of these resources by families is voluntary.
But the fact that this modest program will help more students get out of the one-size-fits-all government school system is unacceptable to some senators. Last month, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Arizona), along with 30 of his colleagues, introduced the Keep Public Funds in Public Schools Act, a bill that would repeal the Education Freedom Tax Credit Program. It has been endorsed by the nation’s largest teachers’ unions, the National Education Association (NEA), and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).
In a video announcing the bill’s introduction, Kelly stated that the main problem with the program is that it will take money out of public schools and give it to private ones, hence the bill’s name. Kelly points to some of the faults in his state’s voucher program, which was one of the first school choice programs in the country. That program allows students to use public funds that would otherwise go to public schools for private school tuition or homeschooling expenses.
But it is unfair and misleading to compare the Education Freedom Tax Credit to a state-level voucher program. The federal program is not a direct spending initiative that pulls money out of public-school budgets; it is not redirecting taxpayer dollars away from public schools to other alternatives. Rather, it allows private individuals to donate to nonprofits, which then have more resources to help students. It is true that the number of students enrolled in a public school district plays a factor in the size of their budgets; so, if more students enroll in private schools than public schools as a result of the program, that would be a secondary effect. But it is not the program’s primary function.
What these senators do not understand is the program’s flexibility. This is not a school voucher program, where the money can only be used for school tuition. Rather, the new influx of financial resources from private donors can be used for tutoring, afterschool programs, summer learning opportunities, disability services, and technology, all of which benefit private, homeschool, and public-school students. When a state opts in to the program, its legislators have the opportunity to tailor it to their communities and align with their priorities.
By advocating for a complete repeal, these short-sighted senators are depriving their states of an incredible opportunity to help students get a better education. Many students thrive in public school, while others receive a better education in a different environment. Some students just need some supplementation to their public-school experience which this program could provide. This program offers a new revenue stream with incredible flexibility, giving states an opportunity to do new and creative things in education.
But this new bill would deprive public schools of the chance to improve, despite claiming to be saving them. Without any competition, public schools will continue to fail their students, and families will continue to go elsewhere. By expanding educational options, public schools will be incentivized to reform to become the place parents want to send their kids. School choice both strengthens the public school system and helps place students in the education environment that will best help them to flourish.
America’s education system and its students have floundered for years, but the nation is on the cusp of a new age of school choice. Instead of trying to limit it, these senators should stand out of the way and let educational freedom take off. America’s students will thank them for it.
