Washington, D.C. — In recent years, billions of taxpayer dollars have been stripped away from the U.S. public education system to fund rapidly growing school voucher programs across the country, despite the fact that most Americans prefer funding public education. These government vouchers redirect state and federal dollars to pay for tuition at private schools, which have never been held to the same standards as their public counterparts.
New analysis from the Center for American Progress lays out why private voucher programs demand greater accountability and oversight:
- Academic achievement: Research shows that voucher programs have limited impact on student achievement and, in some cases, contribute to academic loss in areas such as math and reading comprehension. In most cases, vouchers do not increase college enrollment or degree attainment.
- Discrimination: Private vouchers pose increased risks of discrimination in admissions and also affect students with disabilities, who must abandon Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) protections upon accepting a voucher.
- Student disparities: In several states, there is a disparity between voucher awards and average tuition costs, creating a financial burden for low-income families.
- Rural communities: In rural communities, only 34 percent of families live within five miles of at least one private school. Expanding private school voucher programs takes away critical public education resources from these communities.
- Separation of church and state: Voucher programs disproportionately funnel taxpayer dollars toward religious institutions, raising concerns about church and state entanglement as well as adherence to the First Amendment’s establishment clause.
“Every parent deserves to know how their child’s school is improving academic outcomes and ensuring a safe and nurturing learning environment—including private schools funded by taxpayer dollars,” said Weadé James, senior director for K-12 Education Policy at CAP and co-author of the report. “Adopting an accountability framework would increase transparency of private choice programs to make sure they’re actually delivering students the education they deserve.”
“Voucher programs are actively diverting money away from our public schools with very little oversight into how they use our taxpayer dollars to support students,” said Tania Otero Martinez, policy analyst for K-12 Education Policy at CAP and co-author of the column. “It’s time we change that. Public funds are for public schools.”
Read the report: “Introducing a Framework for Private School Voucher Accountability” by Weadé James and Tania Otero Martinez
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Mishka Espey at [email protected].