Are School Vouchers a Good Thing?

In President Trump's latest State of the Union Address, he briefly touches on a controversial topic in the area of public education. He states, “For too long, countless American children have been trapped in failing government schools.” What he seems to be alluding to here is his support for the Education Freedom Scholarship and Opportunities Act, a bill that would inject $5 billion into locally controlled scholarship programs that empower students to choose the learning environment and style that best suits their needs. 

Before going any further I believe a quick overview of school vouchers would be useful. Vouchers give parents funds that can be used to enroll their child in a private school or homeschool. They can also be used for certain apprenticeship programs, advanced courses, special education services, tutoring, and summer and afterschool programs. School vouchers are currently available in nearly 30 states. You generally have to apply to them and they are usually granted to students with disabilities, students from low-income families, and students who are zoned for a school that is failing. 

Now, back to this bill. According to the U.S. Department of Education, it would neither rely on any funds currently allocated to public education nor would it create a new federal education program. The Education Freedom Scholarship would be funded through voluntary tax contributions that individual donors could then use as their own federal tax credit. 

"The key element of the proposal is freedom for all involved," Secretary DeVos added. "Students, families, teachers, schools, states—all can participate, if they choose, and do so in the ways that work best for them. The major shift is that a student's needs and preferences, not their address or family income, will determine the type and quality of education they can pursue."

Rep. Byrne added, "Every student in America should have the opportunity to receive a high-quality education, and we can help accomplish that goal through a new federal tax credit. This model has succeeded at creating opportunities for students in my home state of Alabama, and I am hopeful through this legislation that we can create similar opportunities for students around the country."

As I said previously, these school vouchers can be a controversial topic and, as in every article I write, I will do my best to present the facts in an unbiased fashion. With this in mind, I’d like to conclude by presenting the major pros and cons of school vouchers that I have gathered through my own research on the subject:

Pro: Vouchers allow parents to choose their child’s education. 

Con: School vouchers funnel money away from already-struggling public schools and children and redistribute tax dollars to private schools and (often) middle-class children.

Pro: School vouchers allow school districts to overcome racial and other segregations.

Con: A 2016 study found that school vouchers do not improve students’ academic performance.