Supporting Learner Choice

School choice is surging, mainly because of the rise of state-sponsored money flowing away from traditional public school districts toward private schools and other educational costs.

Funding pathways have expanded and it’s tough to keep track of all of the options available to families these days when it comes to making a choice different than your neighborhood school.

EducationWeek, in a recent article (2/3/26), offered this explanation regarding how families can pay for their child’s learning:

“Vouchers go toward private school tuition. Education savings accounts, or ESAs, cover a broader range of expenses, including tuition, fees, equipment, and material costs, transportation, and more. Tax-credit scholarship programs reward donors who give to organizations that in turn issue scholarships to help cover students’ private education costs. And direct tax credits offer a more direct form of monetary relief for families’ private educational expenses.”

“Now, billions of dollars in federal tax credits approved by Congress last July promise to shake up the private school choice landscape even further. Twenty-eight states so far have agreed to participate in the program, which will start next calendar year.”

“Three states are far ahead of the pack on private school choice so far.”

“Roughly half a million K-12 students in Florida – more than 15% of the state’s overall school-aged-population – are taking advantage of one of several private school choice program options. In Arizona, slightly more than 100,000 K-12 students, or close to 5% of the state’s school-age children, are using ESA funds. And last school year, Ohio became the third state to annually invest more than $1 billion in private school choice, with more than 140,000 students receiving state-funded vouchers.”

“Several other states’ programs are exploding in popularity as well. North Carolina’s school voucher program, fueled by increased budget investment, saw participation more than triple from 2023 to 2025.”

“Demand is even outpacing supply in some places. For the first time in a decade, Kansas gave out the legal maximum of $10 million in tax-credit scholarships in 2025. In Louisiana, 40,000 students applied for the ESAs – more than six times the number the legislature approved to receive funds. And in New Hampshire, families this school year claimed all 10,000 available ESAs, and more than 300 interested students are currently on a waitlist.”

And even though there are more red states adopting laws that make it easier for families to leave their neighborhood public school, there are blue state governors ready to accept federal money to support greater school choice inside their states.

One of those blue state governors Is Colorado’s Jared Polis.

According to The 74 (2/9/26),

“[The federal tax credit program], which will come online next January, allows donors to save up to $1,700 on their federal taxes by contributing to organizations that defray students’ educational costs, including private school tuition. Taxpayers from anywhere in the U.S. can give freely and claim the credit, but individual states must opt in for their students to receive the scholarships…”

Polis is not going to say “no” to what he calls “free money.” And he believes more Democratic governors will see it his way moving forward. North Carolina’s Josh Stein already has.

“…Polis predicted that his fellow Democrats would eventually reach the same judgment. He also cited his own record as governor – including a huge expansion of free preschool – as an example to state and local leaders weighing how to govern schools as mixed signals emanate from the federal government over the direction of U.S. education policy…”

“’Not a lot of change was driven out of Washington over the last few years,’ Polis said. ‘That should change, and Democrats should be the party of change.’”

A few observations from ABPTL:

First, all this movement away from traditional public school should be considered an indictment for the entire system. For most kids in America, the need for a new system of learning is pronounced and current.

Second, if this movement only serves to line the pockets of existing private schools with public money, it will be considered a failure in a litany of school reform failures inside this country. On the other hand, if traditional public money is used in the creation of personalized learning plans, so that every young learner can become expert readers, writers, problem-solvers, and individuals of high character, then it will be money well spent.

Third, the money switch from public coffers to private hands currently impacts too many middle- to upper-middle-class families. Not enough poor families – especially those who are Black and Hispanic – need educated about the possibilities now alive to make their children smarter and stronger.

Finally, words matter when it comes to change and improvement. Let’s stop calling all of this “school choice” and begin using the phrase “learner choice.” The second half of the 21^st century should be defined by what is good for the individual learner, and not defined by an archaic unit called school.

Til tomorrow. SVB