The head of a national school-choice advocacy group says Democrats who try to end universal school-choice programs could face a voter backlash in 2028, particularly from parents whose children are already benefiting from them.
Tommy Schultz, CEO of the American Federation for Children, said families who have moved their children into private schools or homeschooling with state support may react strongly if those options are taken away. He warned that some parents could make school choice their deciding issue at the ballot box.
Schultz said newly elected officials should think carefully before disrupting an education arrangement that families believe is working for their children, especially when they feel their kids are safe and thriving.
Democrats’ recent midterm gains have put some major Republican-backed education policies at risk. In recent years, Republican-led states expanded school choice and parental-rights measures amid post-pandemic debates over schools and falling enrollment in some large urban districts.
In Texas, Democratic Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa has indicated she intends to reverse the expansion of school choice. In her victory speech, she said parents would regain control of their children’s education and pledged that schools would not be closed.
Hinojosa also said she would remove Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath on her first day in office and work to undo what she called damage caused by the state’s voucher program.
The debate is unfolding as urban school systems contend with changing enrollment. Across the country, some families have sought alternatives to their assigned public schools. Houston’s school district, for instance, voted unanimously to close 12 campuses, citing declining student numbers.
School-choice programs could face legislative hurdles after Democratic victories in states including Iowa, Georgia and Nevada. Schultz said efforts to roll back those policies may prompt another wave of parent activism.
That kind of activism has already shaped school board races in recent years. Parents have challenged curricula and raised objections to some classroom materials, including books addressing LGBTQ-related topics. Conservative political groups have also become more active in local education campaigns since 2022.
Schultz pointed to past disputes in Florida, where parents mobilized against candidates and legal efforts they believed would remove children from schools they preferred. He said taking away a school option that families value could make them angry and politically engaged.
More broadly, parental-rights campaigns have featured prominently in Republican politics. Analysts have linked the issue to the campaigns of former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Schultz said school-choice supporters helped DeSantis in Florida’s 2018 gubernatorial race and could influence close contests elsewhere.
He urged incoming officials not to assume that an election win gives them permission to eliminate a program that many parents support. Hinojosa did not respond to a request for comment.
