School Choice – A Gift That Fits Every Family

By Kathryn Hickok

What if all parents could choose schools based on where their children learn best, regardless of neighborhood zoning or income level? With school choice, they can. School choice programs allow education funding to follow students to the schools or learning services their families choose. It puts parents, not bureaucracies, “in the driver’s seat” of education, helping families customize schooling to meet students’ specific needs and circumstances.

Educational choice for K-12 students continued to expand in 2024. With new laws passed, 75 programs are on the books in 33 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. According to EdChoice (a nonprofit that promotes educational choice), more than 22 million students are eligible to participate in a private school choice program—about 40% of all students nationwide. More than one million students currently participate in a private school choice program.

Each state’s approach to school choice empowers parents to choose the best options for their children. States can learn valuable lessons from each other’s policy approaches as they craft programs that suit the needs of their own families and voters.

Children are unique, with different talents, interests, and learning styles. A school that works well for one child doesn’t necessarily meet the needs of another. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if students could go to school where they learn best? Universal school choice is the gift that keeps giving, for today’s students and for the future.

Kathryn Hickok is Executive Vice President at Cascade Policy Institute, Oregon’s free market public policy research organization, and Director of Cascade’s Children’s Scholarship Fund-Oregon program.

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