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Case for universal education choice

24 0
09.01.2024
By Martin F. Lueken and Marc LeBlond

In an already astonishing year for advancing educational freedom, Pennsylvania closed out their legislative calendar by passing the largest expansion of Pennsylvania’s tax credit scholarship programs.

The political significance of Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, signing a $150 million expansion to a private educational choice program with a split legislature, is noteworthy. With a few exceptions, nearly all school choice enactments and expansions to date nationwide have taken place under a red trifecta of the governor’s mansion and both legislative chambers. This is welcome affirmation for a movement that has long declared what we know is true—expanding educational options for families is not, nor should it be, a partisan issue. Rather, choice cuts across political, geographic and demographic lines.

Pennsylvania’s school choice programs, the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs, have indeed been transformative for many families. Pennsylvania is among 20 states plus Washington, D.C., with income-targeted programs that are intended to serve low- and middle-income students. For the most part, these states have had success delivering quality education to marginalized student groups.

Perhaps surprisingly, states are increasingly passing robust, universally eligible—rather than targeted—choice........

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