School Choice: Empowering Families

Introduction

Most children in the United States are assigned to schools based on where they live. This nineteenth‑century arrangement leaves families little say over the education their children receive. School choice seeks to change that by letting tax dollars follow students to a variety of educational options—public or private, secular or religious, in‑person or online. As the Cato Institute observes, this model recognises that children should be educated based on their needs rather than their addresses¹.

The growth of choice

The first modern voucher program began in Milwaukee in 1990 to help low‑income families access private schools. Since then, choice has expanded rapidly. According to the advocacy group EdChoice, there are now 80 school choice programs in 31 states plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, with more than a million students participating¹. Much of this growth occurred after the COVID‑19 pandemic, when parents saw what their children were being taught over Zoom and demanded alternatives².

School choice supporters argue that programmes offering families alternatives reduce the winner‑takes‑all battles inherent in government‑run schooling. By allowing parents to choose different providers, choice reduces political conflict over curricula and values².

Different models of choice

Not all school choice programs are the same. Vouchers use state tax dollars exclusively for private school tuition, as exemplified by the Milwaukee program. Tax credit scholarships are funded by donations from individuals or businesses, who receive a credit against state taxes in return. Education savings accounts (ESAs) give families a pot of tax dollars to spend on a variety of education expenses—from tuition to tutoring and online courses. Tax credit ESAs operate like scholarships but provide the flexibility of ESAs². Finally, individual tax credits or deductions allow parents to claim a credit based on education spending².

Conclusion

School choice reflects a simple principle: families, not bureaucrats, should decide how and where children learn. By expanding vouchers, scholarships and savings accounts, states can ensure that education funding empowers students rather than tying them to a particular school. As participation in choice programs grows, the focus should remain on quality, transparency and accountability—ensuring that every child, regardless of income or address, has access to the best possible education.