The Trump administration is expected to set aside upwards of $5 billion a year for private school vouchers, according to a budget reconciliation bill proposed by House Republicans on Monday.
It’s part of an ongoing effort by President Donald Trump to expand school choice opportunities and give families more control over where and how their children are taught.
Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, who sponsored a similar proposal in the Senate, said parents should have the right to choose where to send their kids.
“Giving parents the ability to choose the best education for their child makes the (American Dream) possible,” he said in a public statement.
According to the Associated Press, private school vouchers would be funded by donors who could contribute money or stock. As a result, they’d receive 100% of their donation as a form of discount on their tax bills. Stockholders would avoid paying taxes that would be levied if they donated or transferred the stock.
Sasha Pudelski, director of advocacy for The School Superintendents Association, told the Associated Press that the bill is a “significant threat” to public education.
“It’s opening the door even wider to what has already plagued voucher programs around the country, which is rampant waste, fraud, and abuse,” she said.
Hilary Wething, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute, also told NBC News that Trump’s support of private school privatization has given leaders in red states “a green light to be more expansive in their approach moving forward.”
States like Texas have been leading the charge for school choice programs. Earlier this month, Texas became the 16th state to lawfully spend public funds for private education. The newly enacted bill sets aside $1 billion in funding for the 2026-27 school year, marking the largest day-one launch of school choice vouchers in the country.
“I am signing this law that will ensure Texas families, whose children can no longer be served by the public school assigned to them, have the choice to take their money and find the school that is right for them,” Gov. Greg Abbott said at the time of his announcement.
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