Supporters of the private school choice celebrated this week as the federal school voucher bill approached the law.
The House Republican budget proposal, which advanced Monday, will devote $5 billion to federal tickets for private school tuition fees, homeschooling materials and for-profit virtual learning.
The budget bill program could be the first to offer vouchers to all 50 states, including those with democratic tendencies that have long rejected the idea.
Supporters welcomed the proposal as “historic” and “a huge victory,” but warned that so far many legislation still remained in trouble.
“In the end, all children, especially from low-income families, should have access to the school they choose. This law is the only way to make that happen.”
Opponents of the proposal were stunned by its fundamental meaning. It's in line with President Trump's agenda, but for its costs, making it from the House Road and Means Committee was considered a rather long shot.
The program is structured as a $5 billion tax credit, allowing donors to save $1 for every dollar to nonprofits that grant scholarships. This is up to 10% of the donor's income.
The donation option is expected to be popular with wealthy taxpayers.
The resulting scholarship is worth $5,000 per child and could reach 1 million students. Families earning less than 300% of their local median income (equivalent to more than $300,000 in some parts of the country) may use the funds. This means that it covers the majority of families.
The proposal could pass the budget settlement process and could result in a law with only 51 votes in the Senate, where Republicans hold 53 seats.
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, many Republican-led nations have passed new private school selection laws and overcome decades of resistance from teacher unions, Democrats and rural conservatives. Opponents have long argued that vouchers hurt traditional public schools by lowering registration and funding levels. And they point out that there are few private schools in low-income neighborhoods and rural areas, making it difficult for many families to use vouchers.
“We are against giving people tax credits to refund public schools,” said Randy Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, the second largest education coalition in the United States.
She noted that Trump and Congressional Republicans want to invest in workforce education, artificial intelligence education and other priorities for student learning, but consistently suggests cuts to public schools that educate nearly 90% of American students.
“They don't believe in public schools,” she said. “What we're looking at here is the fragmentation of education in America.”
The boom in new private education options like virtual learning and microschools is already changing the landscape. This is similar to an influx of campaign spending from conservative donors like financier Jeffyas, whose aim is to build support for private school selection.
Last month, Texas became the last major Republican-led state to pass such a law. Supporters quickly shifted their focus to Congress and shifted to opportunities to promote the Federal Coupon Bill.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican of Louisiana, is a sponsor of the Senate bill, similar to the House proposal, and celebrated its inclusion in the budget package.
“To expand President Trump's tax cuts is to maintain America's dream,” he said in writing. “Giving parents the ability to choose the best education for their children makes dreams possible.”
However, this proposal, both on the left and right, still has to overcome the opposition.
Public school advocates say vouchers and educational savings accounts that are often used by relatively wealthy families are subsidies for parents who can already afford private education.
Some public school districts have experienced a decline in enrollment, considering school closures and cutting down educational positions, as Florida has had children using more vouchers than any other state in the country.
Even some conservative custody activists are opposed to the creation of federal programs. They worry that they can ultimately create regulatory channels that can be used to impose government requirements on homeschooling parents and private schools.
“The federal government should be drawn to the greatest possible extent from K-12 education,” says Christopher Loufo, a leading crusade to school diversity programs and advocate for school choice. “It's best to leave it in America.”
