Trump Looks to Repurpose Federal Money to Expand School Choice Programs
Private School Vouchers and Other School Choice Initiatives to Expand
President Donald Trump is set to issue an executive order telling government agencies to repurpose federal dollars to prioritize school choice programs and give states new guidance on how they can use federal money to support K-12 voucher programs.
Education Department to Use Discretionary Money
The Education Department is being directed to use discretionary money to prioritize school choice programs. This could free up some pockets of federal money to be used on school choice, but it is not clear how far he could move the needle with federal money alone. The vast majority of school funding comes from state and local sources, and school choice policies are generally the purview of state governments.
Other Agencies to Help States and Families
Other agencies, including the departments of Defense and Health and Human Services and the Bureau of Indian Education, would be directed to help states and families find ways to use existing federal money for school choice programs.
Conservative Groups Celebrate National School Choice
The signing of the order comes the same day that results from a national exam found that America’s students have continued to fall behind in reading and made little improvement in math in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The order cites the National Assessment of Educational Progress finding that 70% of eighth-grade students were not proficient in reading and 72% were not proficient in math.
Trump’s Commitment to Education Reform
Responding to the results, the Trump administration said it is “committed to reorienting our education system to fully empower states, to prioritize meaningful learning and provide universal access to high-quality instruction.”
Trump’s Campaign Promise
Trump campaigned on a promise to expand school choice, long a key part of the Republican education agenda. He promised to create “massive funding preferences” for states that adopt universal school choice — a policy that lets almost all families use taxpayer-funded education money to attend private schools, homeschooling or other options beyond local public schools.
Arizona’s Universal School Choice Policy
Arizona became the first state to adopt universal school choice in 2022 and several Republican-states have followed. Opponents say the policy is designed to gut public education.
Trump’s Previous Efforts
During his first term, Trump also tried to expand school choice and he made Betsy DeVos, a prominent school choice advocate, as education secretary. DeVos worked with governors to expand state policies but failed to get Congress to pass legislation that would have provided tax breaks for donations made to scholarships for private schools or other education options.
New Education Secretary Nomination
Trump has nominated billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to serve as his next education chief. McMahon, whose Senate hearing has not been scheduled yet, has called for an expansion of school choice policies.
Conclusion
The executive order aims to expand school choice programs and give states more flexibility in using federal money to support K-12 voucher programs. While the impact of the order is unclear, it marks a significant step in Trump’s efforts to reform the education system.
FAQs
Q: What is the purpose of the executive order?
A: The executive order aims to expand school choice programs and give states more flexibility in using federal money to support K-12 voucher programs.
Q: How will the Education Department use discretionary money?
A: The Education Department will use discretionary money to prioritize school choice programs.
Q: What other agencies will be involved in the effort?
A: The departments of Defense and Health and Human Services and the Bureau of Indian Education will be directed to help states and families find ways to use existing federal money for school choice programs.
Q: What is the goal of the Trump administration’s education reform efforts?
A: The Trump administration aims to reorient the education system to fully empower states, prioritize meaningful learning, and provide universal access to high-quality instruction.
