For the second year in a row, an analysis of school choice contends that historically underserved students may not be the only beneficiaries of the wave of new programs being launched in Republican-leaning states.
Once seen as a potential great equalizer in K12 education, school choice funds continue to support a substantial number of more affluent and white students already enrolled in a private school, according to the latest report from FutureEd, a Georgetown University think tank.
Among the biggest beneficiaries may be middle-income families, whose earnings are well above the poverty line but have strained to cover private school tuition without an infusion of public funds.
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“Analysis of universal private school choice programs in 2024-25 points to the substantial tension between advocates’ goal of expanding families’ private options and the nation’s history of spending public monies primarily on public schools, school reformers’ commitment in recent decades to improving educational opportunities for the nation’s neediest students, and demands for accountability in public spending,” the report’s author, Bella DiMarco, writes.
School choice trends
When Indiana raised its school choice income cap from 300% to 400% of free and reduced price lunch, participation among families earning above $200,000 soared by more than tenfold. Now, those families account for nearly 8% of voucher recipients, FutureEd’s report found.
In North Carolina, the wealthiest families are overrepresented in school choice programs. Those earning above $250,000 account for about 7% of the state’s population but 14% of school choice participants.
The same trend is present in Oklahoma, where only 5% of families earn above $250,000. These same households accounted for a quarter of the students receiving public tuition assistance.
Racial disparities in choice programs
Racial disparities found in FutureEd’s initial report have grown in some states. When Ohio made its EdChoice program universal, the share of white students rose from 66% to 82%, an increase that held steady last year.
In North Carolina, universal eligibility saw the number of white participants grow from 63% to 73%, while the share of Black students dropped from 19% to 11%.
Florida’s program is serving a more diverse group of students, even though more white families have enrolled since choice became universal in the Sunshine State. Last school year, 42% of choice participants were white, 36% were Hispanic and 19% were Black, and those levels are similar to the overall state population, FutureEd explained.
Income considerations
Some states are trying to limit the number of wealthy families who enroll in choice programs. Utah gives preferences based on need and Ohio and Oklahoma distribute higher amounts to families with lower incomes.
The report also noted that many high-priced private schools are not participating in school choice programs, “either to avoid oversight or because public dollars don’t come close to covering their tuition.”
