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School Choice & Charters Tracker

Which States Have Private School Choice?

Vouchers, ESAs, tax-credit scholarships: State-funded programs that let parents direct their children鈥檚 education are growing
By Libby Stanford, Mark Lieberman & Victoria A. Ifatusin 鈥 January 31, 2024 | Updated: November 08, 2024 4 min read
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Programs that direct public money toward private schools of a family鈥檚 choosing or family accounts that can cover any education expenses outside the public school system are proliferating.

Parents say they have sought out these programs as a way to deliver an education customized to their children鈥檚 unique needs. Politicians championing them say they represent a lifeline for students trapped in underperforming schools. Critics argue the programs deprive public schools of much-needed resources and point out that many children now benefiting from private school choice funds were already attending private schools beforehand. Several private school choice programs are facing lawsuits alleging that they violate state constitutions.

69传媒 taking advantage of private school choice represent a small fraction of the nation鈥檚 total K-12 population, but the numbers signing up for new state programs have sometimes exceeded projections.

This tracker provides a concise yet comprehensive snapshot of the private school choice landscape on a rolling basis. In our States to Watch section, we highlight states where new private school choice programs or other notable private school choice policy changes are under consideration. Our glossary defines common terms in discussions about school choice.

Twenty-eight states and the District of Columbia have at least one private school choice program, according to an Education Week analysis. Of those, 12 states have at least one private school choice program that's universally accessible to K-12 students in the state.   

20     States have tax-credit scholarships

16     States have education savings accounts

10     States and the District of Columbia have vouchers

2     States have tax-credit education savings accounts

States with at least one universal private school choice program

States with one or more private school choice program

School Choice Glossary

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Education Savings Account (ESA)

Education savings accounts provide public per-pupil funds鈥攐ften a percentage of per-student state funding鈥攖o families with children who don鈥檛 attend public schools that they can use to pay for private school tuition or other education expenses, such as tutoring and homeschooling supplies. Some states restrict ESAs or specific ESA programs within the state to students with disabilities, students attending schools with poor performance, and/or students from low-income families. Recently, more states have begun adopting universal ESAs, which all families can access regardless of income, disability status, or any other qualifying factor. ESA funds are generally given directly to families, often in the form of debit cards with restrictions on how the money can be spent. While ESAs and vouchers are often used interchangeably, what sets ESAs apart from vouchers are that they can be used for a wide array of education expenses, not just private school tuition. (See EdWeek's 2023 explainer on ESAs.)


Voucher

School vouchers describe public funds that families can use at private schools of their choice, including those that are religious, to subsidize the cost of student tuition. Many vouchers are restricted to students with disabilities, students attending poor-performing schools, and students from low-income families, but some states have vouchers that are available to any student. (See EdWeek's 2017 explainer on vouchers.)


Tax-Credit Scholarship

Tax-credit scholarship programs provide scholarships to families that they can use at private schools of their choice, including those that are religious. The scholarships most commonly come from state-authorized nonprofit organizations, which issue the scholarships out of donations that they receive from businesses or individual taxpayers who receive tax credits for those donations. Eligibility can be limited based on family income, disability status, or other factors, or it can be universal. (See EdWeek's 2024 explainer on tax-credit scholarships.)


Tax-Credit Education Savings Account

Tax-Credit ESAs are a less common form of ESA through which families receive a designated, per-pupil amount from a state-authorized nonprofit organization that administers the account. Families can use the funds to cover any educational expense, including private school tuition, tutoring, or homeschooling costs. Businesses and individual taxpayers receive tax credits for donations to those nonprofit organizations. (See EdWeek's 2024 explainer on tax-credit education savings accounts.)



States to watch

An ongoing look at significant private school choice policy development:

Colorado

Voters on Nov. 5 rejected a proposed amendment to the constitution that would have enshrined 鈥渢he right to school choice,鈥 including traditional and charter public schools, private schools, and home school. Democrats continue to control both houses of the legislature and the governorship; private school choice is unlikely to advance in the near future.

Idaho

Debbie Critchfield, the state superintendent of education, said on July 30 that she and Gov. Brad Little, a Republican, are working on a new school choice bill, . Both have previously said they don鈥檛 support diverting funds from public schools for private school choice. Earlier this year, a committee in the state House of Representatives a proposed $50 million tax credit and grant program for private school choice.

Kentucky

A decisive majority of voters鈥65 percent鈥攐n Nov. 5 rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would have paved the way for private school choice. Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, whose term ends in December 2027, is a strong opponent of private school choice, even as Republicans retain supermajorities in both houses of the legislature.

Nebraska

A majority of voters鈥57 percent鈥攐n Nov. 5 repealed the state鈥檚 tax credit program for private school students. The program allocated $10 million a year for tax credits distributed to parents who send their children to private school. A coalition of public school advocacy groups successfully petitioned to secure a spot on the ballot for the referendum after state lawmakers thwarted their efforts to repeal an earlier version of the program.

Tennessee

The first bill filed in the state legislature after the Nov. 5 election was a . Half the money would be reserved for students from families earning less than 300 percent of the federal poverty line, and all students in the state would be eligible for the other half.

Republican Gov. Bill Lee is and to avoid a repeat of the chaos and infighting that doomed last year鈥檚 effort to expand private school choice. Several election victories for lawmaker candidates backed by Lee may smooth the path, but .

Texas

After Election Day results came in, Gov. Greg Abbott in for his fight to establish private school choice in his state. Lawmakers who have signaled their support for offering state funds to parents to spend on private education now make up a majority of both houses of the legislature, Abbott said. The legislature will take up the issue in the coming months, aiming to reach consensus after .

Some observers of Republican politics believe Abbott will be in the running to . If that happens, private school choice could be on shakier ground. A prominent Texas critic of private school choice that he believes Abbott鈥檚 departure from the governorship would give cover for some lawmakers to back away from supporting a new ESA program.

Contact Information

For media or research inquiries about this data, contact library@educationweek.org.

How to Cite This Page

Which States Have Private School Choice? (2024, January 31). Education Week. Retrieved Month Day, Year from /policy-politics/which-states-have-private-school-choice/2024/01

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