Introduced in the 119th Congress, the Educational Choice for Children Act would divert $100 billion in taxpayer money to private and religious schools. Its sponsors want it to be part of the 2025 reconciliation bill.
How it Works
- Individuals and corporations give money to an intermediary called a scholarship-granting organization (SGO).
- SGOs pay tuition at private and religious schools.
- Individual and corporate donors get dollar-for-dollar tax credits worth far more than the usual deduction for charitable contributions.
- People can also offload stocks to SGOs and evade taxes on capital gains.
- Voters nationwide have rejected voucher schemes every time they’re on the ballot—17 times. The most recent votes, in November 2024, were in Colorado, Kentucky, and Nebraska.
Public vs. Private Schools
- Public schools educate 9 out of 10 Americans.
- Voucher-inspired schemes redirect funds from public to private schools that are not accountable to the public.
- Special needs students who attend private schools lose important legal rights and protections.
- Vouchers weaken public education, especially in the rural communities where 20 percent of our students live and public schools are the economic center.
Real-Life Impact
- Numerous studies have found that voucher-inspired schemes do not improve student performance.
- America cannot afford to fund two education systems—one private and one public—on the taxpayer’s dime.
- Taxpayer dollars should go to public schools open to all students, not private schools that can pick and choose their students.
Speak Up For Students and Public Schools
