Vouchers Rejected in Three States
Utah, Missouri, and North Dakota say NO to school voucher schemes
Over at my education policy Substack — The Education Report, I’ve noted the recent defeat of school voucher schemes in three states.
Missouri
A legislative committee in Missouri stripped a proposed $50 million voucher scheme from that state’s budget.
The $50 million request for the MoScholars program, which is supposed to be funded from donations and tax credits, was approved in the Missouri House as part of its budget proposal. But state Sen. Lincoln Hough, a Republican from Springfield and chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, stripped it out after boosting the foundation formula for public schools by $300 million the day before.
Utah
A Utah judge rejected a voucher scheme because it would provide public education dollars to programs/schools not required to accept all kids.
“[Because] the Program is a legislatively created, publicly funded education program aimed at elementary and secondary education, it must satisfy the constitutional requirements applicable to the ‘public education system’ set forth in the Utah Constitution,” Third District Judge Laura Scott wrote in her ruling. “The Program is not ‘open to all children of the state.’”
North Dakota
The $110 million price tag scared North Dakota lawmakers away from a massive voucher scheme there.
House members voted 78–14 against Senate Bill 2400, which sought to provide private school vouchers plus Education Savings Accounts for public school and homeschooled students.
But the $110 million price tag to the Senate bill is likely why many opposed it, said House Majority Leader Mike Lefor, R-Dickinson.
For more education news, check out The Education Report
