Educational choice programs exist in dozens of states across the country and Washington, DC. New Jersey isn’t one of them.
Participation in voucher and education savings account (ESA) programs, which fund private school tuition and other educational expenses, has more than doubled in the past 5 years, with enrollment expansion increasing from about 70,000 to 147,000 and funds provided for the students increasing from $400 million to $859 million. There is over $1.9 billion in dedicated funding available for school voucher and scholarship tax credit programs in 2015-16. Overall, nearly 400,000 students nationwide are enrolled in private school choice programs.
School choice allows public education funds to follow students to the schools or services that best fit their needs—whether a public school, private school, charter school, home school or any other learning environment parents choose for their kids.
Different states offer different types of school choice programs. These include Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), School Vouchers, Tax-Credit Scholarships, and individual tax credits and deductions.
Watch the video below to see how an educational choice system works.