WASHINGTON - President-elect Donald Trump is poised to enact a dramatic expansion of "school choice" programs next year that would make it easier for hundreds of thousands of parents to send their children to private school.
Though Trump will likely not be able to abolish the U.S. Department of Education as he has promised, experts say he stands a good chance of winning a tax break for programs that help pay for private tuition. That approach would not steer federal dollars directly to private schools but would still amount to a significant development in a decades-long fight over education.
"The consequence would be the biggest school choice victory ever in Washington," said Frederick Hess, an education expert at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute.
Conservatives say the government should help parents pay for private school if they are unsatisfied with their public schools, while teachers' unions and many Democrats say school choice undermines the public system that educates 50 million U.S. children.
More than one million U.S. students now participate in school choice programs, double the level before the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered public schools, according to EdChoice, an advocacy group. Proponents say federal action could boost participation by hundreds of thousands.
Trump said expanding school choice would be a top priority when he tapped former pro-wrestling magnate Linda McMahon to serve as his education secretary this week.
"Linda will fight tirelessly to expand 'Choice' to every State in America," Trump said in a statement on Tuesday.
McMahon served as Trump's small-business secretary during his first 2017-2021 White House term and currently chairs the America First Policy Institute, a Trump-aligned think tank that advocates for steering public money to private schools. The group did not respond to several requests for comment.
When Trump's Republicans take control of both chambers of Congress next year, they are expected to advance legislation that would give tax credits to people or businesses who donate to private-school scholarship funds.
"I think there's an enormous amount of momentum on it. It's going to happen," said Nate Bailey, who served as a senior official at the Department of Education during Trump's first term.
A version that passed the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee in October would allow people or businesses to get a credit of up to 10% of their tax liability for such donations. Families who earn up to three times the median income in their area would be able to apply for that money, which could be used for tuition, tutoring, books or other expenses. That would cost the federal government roughly $5 billion in lost tax revenue per year, the committee said.
The scholarship funds, which would be independently run and not controlled by any government, would not be allowed to set aside money for specific students.
"Regardless of the name, the impact is the same: Vouchers and voucher-inspired schemes erode public education, the foundation of our democracy," NEA lobbyist Marc Egan wrote the committee in September.
New Approach
The strategy marks a change from Trump's first term in office when Education Secretary Betsy DeVos pushed unsuccessfully allocate federal money toward private-school tuition. Republican-led states dramatically expanded voucher programs years followed. But voucher programs have run into resistance among voters rural areas where there are few private schools. Voters Nebraska Colorado Kentucky rejected proposals Nov 5 elections. Republicans Washington less sure about vouchers than breaks More them voted against March turned $18 Title I aid program into program Education Department funding tends play bigger role Republican leaning states Federal accounted 15 all K spending last compared 11 backed Democratic rival Kamala Harris according Reuters analysis Census figures Opting rather unite minimize red tape associated direct spending advocates It also folded sweeping cut bill aims pass making chances success Congress more likely break bolster existing state but apply families Democratic-run like York have own who back modeled existing state-level awarded $1 billion students far Democrats effectively indirect were able funneling payments through Douglas Harris economics professor Tulane University pave way ambitious efforts When tweaking opposed introducing radical idea easier smaller moves expand time