The school choice movement is currently enjoying a win in a Red State, yet it faces hurdles ahead in expanding access to alternatives to public education across the nation.
With the recent signing of the Universal School Choice Bill by Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R), Texas has become the latest Republican-led state to adopt the Education Savings Account (ESA) model. This approach has gained momentum in various states following the pandemic.
Despite Texas’s progress, duplicating this success in strongly Democratic areas seems unlikely, prompting advocates to watch for federal-level developments while pushing state-level initiatives.
“We’re dedicated to offering various services to our clients,” said Robert Enlow, CEO of EDChoice.
“I think introducing the federal tax credit program in the settlement bill will significantly help,” he remarked, alluding to the GOP budget strategy aligned with much of Trump’s agenda.
Abbott’s signing of the largest daily school selection program in the U.S. comes with a hefty price tag of $1 billion for its first year. A rural Texas legislator, who has long opposed school choice, expressed concerns about helping children in regions with limited educational alternatives.
Escaping public school confines, ESA programs provide families with funds to enroll children in private institutions. In Texas, parents opting for private education receive 85% of the typical funding allocated to public school students.
The momentum for school choice significantly surged during the pandemic, with more than 15 states implementing ESA options since the onset of Covid-19 school closures in 2020.
Different states have various ESA programs, each with unique criteria and funding limits. Advocates are keen on broadening these programs to reach more students.
As numerous states adopt some form of school choice, there’s a push among them to exert influence on others.
“If this turns out to be effective and gains popularity, lawmakers will face pressure, even in blue states. […] You’ll be overwhelmed,” said Robert Pondiscio, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
With Republicans holding power in the House, Senate, and the White House, a focus on federal legislation seems the most straightforward strategy for the movement.
The Education Choice for Children Act is gaining traction in Congress, aimed at creating a federal tax credit for donations to organizations providing school choice scholarships. These scholarships will benefit students from families earning up to 300% of the region’s median income.
Funds can also be used for educational expenses like books, tuition, and materials related to homeschooling.
“In my view, Texas was the last significant state to make this shift. [Former Education Secretary] noted that bypassing the state’s voucher ban may lead to a quicker establishment of vouchers in blue states,” remarked Josh Cowen from the Center for Educational Law.
The bill addresses concerns from the school choice movement about potential federal overreach regarding private schools and homeschooling.
“The legislation clarifies that private schools receiving any payments from these families won’t be forced to alter their admissions processes, thereby emphasizing private school autonomy rather than parents’ rights,” Cowen explained.
This law could aid in introducing school choices to blue states while simultaneously enhancing red states with tighter restrictions.
“Similar to civil rights legislation from generations ago, Congress must engage to secure educational freedoms currently constrained at the state level,” stated Peter Murphy, a senior advisor for the Education Coalition.
Nevertheless, while focusing on federal initiatives, advocates are not abandoning the state-by-state approach.
A central aim of the movement is to achieve universal ESA implementation across all states. However, some states allow only specific students to participate, and there has been pushback in voter referendums in places like Kentucky, Nebraska, and Colorado.
“I genuinely hope to witness a burgeoning educational delivery sector that serves parents across diverse settings—whether traditional schools, at-home education, or hybrid models. […] Ideally, we should envision an education system reflective of the 22nd century rather than the 18th,” Enlow remarked.
“We’re, in a way, narrowing the options available because of fears around regulations, control, and allowing parents to make authentic choices,” he added.
