The Good
A new study published by the Urban Institute reveals that students who attend private schools through a school choice program are more likely to graduate from college. The report, The Effects of Ohio’s EdChoice Voucher Program on College Enrollment and Graduation, joins a growing list of empirical studies that demonstrate school choice improves academic outcomes, increases parental satisfaction, and saves taxpayer money.
EdChoice students were more likely to enroll in college than students who remained in public school by a 64% to 48% margin. Additionally, enrollment for EdChoice students at a four-year college outpaced their public school counterparts: 45% to 30%. Longer participation in the program yielded even greater benefits—students who remained there for at least four years were 44% more likely to enroll in college than their public school peers.
Groups that benefited most from EdChoice were blacks, boys, students who experienced long-term childhood poverty, and students with below-median test scores before leaving public school. The college enrollment rate among black scholarship recipients increased by 18%, compared to 13% for white students. Students who spent more than three-quarters of their lives in poverty saw their rate of college attendance increase by 17%, seven points higher than students from less impoverished backgrounds.
In other good news, Indiana lawmakers lifted the income cap for the Indiana Choice Scholarship program in April, so that by the 2026-2027 school year, any child in the state may receive an annual voucher of at least $6,200.
Also, on May 3, Texas Gov. Greg Abbot signed SB2 into law, establishing the state’s first-ever school choice program: an education savings account (ESA) with universal eligibility.
Under this law, approximately 90,000 students across Texas can potentially access flexible funds for private school tuition, tutoring, special education services, homeschool expenses, and other educational expenses. As demand grows, the program is likely to expand to include any student whose family chooses to enroll.
Overall, there are now 76 private school choice programs in 35 states, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, with 18 states offering universal choice. In total, 45% of students nationwide are eligible to participate in a private school choice program, and over 1.2 million students partake in one.
The Bad
On April 21, a district Court judge in Utah ruled that the state’s school voucher program was unconstitutional following a nearly year-long lawsuit filed by the state teachers’ union. The Utah Education Association sued the state last year, arguing that the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program violated the constitution by diverting tax money to private schools that aren’t free, open to all students, and supervised by the state board of education.
The Utah Legislature established the program in 2023, which provides up to $8,000 in state income tax funds to eligible students through scholarship accounts to cover the costs of private schools.
The judge ruled that the state legislature cannot create schools and programs that are not “open to all the children of Utah” or “free from sectarian control,” echoing the Utah Education Association’s argument that it diverts funding from public schools.
The judge’s bizarre ruling misses the point—the program is open to all Utah families, and any family can apply.
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