More Families Across The Country Could Soon Get To Choose Schools Right For Their Children

State school choice programs have been around for decades, but the past few years have seen explosive growth in the wake of controversies over school openings and public-school curricula. Several states are on the edge of passing school choice programs for the first time. Another state that was at the forefront decades ago is looking to keep up with Joneses and give more families options.

Dissatisfaction over whether schools opened during the pandemic—and how quickly—is a major driver of educational choice legislation. Most schools, public and private, shut their doors and taught remotely for at least some time in response to the COVID pandemic. But closures were uneven, some private schools were among the first to open back up and high-poverty public schools spent about five and a half more weeks in remote instruction than low-and mid-poverty schools.

Parents with financial resources voted with their feet by either enrolling their children in private schools or moving to states that reopened quickly. Private school enrollment grew just over 4%. States like Florida and North Carolina saw substantial increases in inbound movers. But many parents had no option but to keep their children in the school assigned to them by ZIP code. The result? National Assessment of Educational Progress scores showed American students losing decades of progress in math and reading.

Another major driver of educational choice programs is disagreements over public-school curricula. Public school board battles and dramatic government interventions about what is taught in schools are playing out in both “red” and “blue” states. Depending on the state or locality, people on the right or the left can feel like the public schools are trending in the wrong direction. Schools impart basic values to students, and it is inevitable that some families are going to be upset about what is or isn’t being taught. So, while school choice is often seen as a preferred policy of conservatives, school choice can be a way for liberals in conservative states to find schools aligned with their values.

A dozen states are seriously looking at expanding or creating school choice programs (an expansion in Florida was signed this week.) But here I want to focus on three states.

Despite many attempts over the years, the Texas Legislature has never enacted a school choice program. Now, creating an educational savings account is a top priority of the governor and many legislators.

The proposal that has been attracting the most support would provide $8,000 annually for expenses including private school tuition, tutors, uniforms, and other educational expenses. Last week, nearly 400 supporters and opponents testified at a state senate hearing on the bill. A recent poll from the University of Texas found that a plurality of voters support school choice, with slightly higher support from urban voters.

A few states north of Texas, Nebraska is looking at a different model to give families school choice. The proposed Opportunity Scholarships Act would provide tax credits to those who want to donate money to scholarships for students in lower-income families.

State Senator Justin Wayne (D), who represents North Omaha and previously served on the Omaha Public School Board, has been an impassioned supporter of the bill for several years. He pointed out to the Nebraska Examiner that, “[t]he people who are against choice (already) have choice.”

While Texas and Nebraska are looking to make their first forays into school choice, Ohio was an early leader and helped establish important Supreme Court precedent that paved the way for programs across the country. Now the Ohio Legislature is considering a “Backpack Bill” that would expand eligibility to every family in the state.

Since Ohio has been operating school choice programs for so long, it’s given academics the opportunity to study how choice works in the real world. For example, opponents have long claimed that choice programs would lead to increased segregation and worse education, but a new study on the Buckeye State’s programs from an Ohio State University researcher showed the opposite.

Study author Stéphane Lavertu, a political scientist, told education news site The 74, “[w]hat we can say with some level of certainty is that segregation did not go up in district schools. In fact, we can say with some confidence that it went down.”

While less definitive, Lavertu’s study also showed academic gains in the typical school district where families are eligible for the program.

That’s exactly the kind of evidence that should embolden lawmakers in every state to move forward with school choice reforms. Decisions about how to best educate children are going to be contentious. But when parents have a clear choice to put their children in a school that matches their values and goals, they don’t have to fight it out with their neighbors at state capitals and school board meetings.