It refers to policies that let public education funds pay for alternatives to traditional public schools. These alternatives include private school scholarships or vouchers, charter schools (publicly funded but independently run schools), and letting students attend public schools outside their home district (open enrollment). While “choice” sounds positive, it’s important to understand how these policies can affect Missouri’s students, communities, and taxpayers.
Missouri can also learn from other states’ experiences. For example:
- Arizona’s universal voucher program caused a budget crisis, with costs skyrocketing from an expected $65 million to over $330 million in the first year, helping create a $1.4 billion state budget shortfall. This forced cuts to things like infrastructure and college funding.
- Nebraska and Kentucky voters recently rejected school choice measures by large margins, overturning laws that would have funded private school tuition with public money. In Kentucky, 64.8% of voters said “no” to a constitutional amendment that would have allowed diverting state funds to non-public schools. Nebraska voters similarly repealed a new tax-funded private scholarship program (58% opposed). Historically, voters have rejected voucher-type programs every time they’ve been on a state ballot (17 out of 17 times).
- Texas has seen fierce debate because many rural communities fear voucher programs would drain money from their local public schools, which are often the heart of small towns. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has pushed vouchers, even campaigning against legislators (with help from out-of-state billionaire donors) who opposed them. This highlights how political pressure and outside interests can drive school choice policies, even where local communities are resistant.