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South Carolina’s supreme court struck down a school voucher program as unconstitutional earlier in 2024, despite states seeing success with similar legislation.
Prior to the ruling, families below certain income brackets were able to participate in South Carolina’s Educational Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF), according to the Heritage Foundation. The program awarded vouchers worth $6,000, to be used on “education products and services like tutoring, private school tuition, and textbooks.”
The 3-2 decision by the court leaves 3,000 families dependent on public schools with no additional support, according to the Washington Examiner. Heritage Foundation described the move as a “crushing blow” to the school choice movement, which aims to support children across many failing public school systems. (POLL: Has Your View on Personal Hygiene and Safety Evolved Since the Pandemic?)
What Is School Choice?
School choice programs essentially give students tuition assistance that can be used to pay for private education. Experts champion school choice programs for fueling innovation within the education sector, forcing schools to up-their-game when it comes to supporting America’s youth.
Some 90,000 Florida student enrolled in private schools and other educational programs in the 2022 academic year thanks to school choice. “If your product is better, you’ll be fine. The problem is, they are a relic of the past — a monopolized system where you have one option,” lobbyist Chris Moya said of public schools. “And when parents have options, they vote with their feet.” (POLL: How Often Do You Encounter Misinformation Online?)
“School choice is a wonderful option for parents who want to leave the public school system. For parents who need to stay, the fact of school choice as an option will be another pressure point on school officials to be responsive to the needs and desires of parents and the community,” Family Research Council senior fellow for education studies Meg Kilgannon said of the programs.
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