Teachers greet students stepping off their bus at a Louisville, Ky., public elementary school in 2022. A proposed constitutional amendment to allow public funding support for private school education in the state was soundly defeated in last week’s election by nearly two-thirds of the vote. (Jon Cherry/Getty Images)
Voters in Colorado, Kentucky and Nebraska put the brakes on the school choice movement last week, rejecting ballot measures that would have instituted or expanded state support for parents to send their kids to private schools or protected other school choice options.
There are at least 75 private school choice programs available across 33 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, according to EdChoice, a group that supports such programs. And the movement had been gaining momentum.
Public school systems and teachers unions largely oppose voucher programs that use tax dollars to support private school education, saying the programs take needed money from public schools. Many opponents also note that private schools may not have the same accreditation requirements and course curriculum as public schools.