{"id":2357824,"date":"2024-10-22T07:47:02","date_gmt":"2024-10-22T11:47:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/school-choice-programs-have-saved-taxpayers-up-to-45-billion\/"},"modified":"2024-10-22T07:54:16","modified_gmt":"2024-10-22T11:54:16","slug":"school-choice-programs-have-saved-taxpayers-up-to-45-billion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/school-choice-programs-have-saved-taxpayers-up-to-45-billion\/","title":{"rendered":"School Choice Programs Have Saved Taxpayers Up To $45 Billion"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fschool-choice-programs-have-saved-taxpayers-up-to-45-billion%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2357824&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article \u200cdiscusses the debate surrounding school \u200dchoice initiatives in the United States,\u200b particularly the claims \u200dmade by Democrat lawmakers that\u200b such programs will financially burden state budgets. Citing a Wall Street Journal report by Martin F. Lueken, the article highlights that school choice programs can actually result in significant savings\u2014estimated between $19.4 billion and $45.6 billion across 48 programs\u2014in\u2063 taxpayer dollars. For every dollar spent on these programs, taxpayers save $1.70 to $2.64.<\/p>\n<p>The piece points out that despite a substantial increase in public education spending\u2014averaging over $17,280 per K-12 student\u2014academic performance has not \u2062improved. For example, in New York, \u200conly 45% of third graders are proficient in reading. In\u2063 contrast, private schools spend an\u2063 average of\u200b $4,000 less per student \u2062while achieving better academic \u2063outcomes. The article \u200bargues that without school choice, many families remain trapped in underperforming public schools.<\/p>\n<p>The discussion also touches \u200bon how teachers&#8217; unions \u200band some Democrat\u200c politicians resist school choice, fearing it will undermine funding for public education. However, the rise in parental demand for educational alternatives, especially noted \u200dduring school closures due to the pandemic, \u2062has prompted some Republican leaders to champion school choice measures. An example cited is\u2062 Arizona, where a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/two-states-now-have-universal-school-choice-and-yours-could-be-next\/\" title=\"Two States Now Have Universal School Choice \u2014 And Yours Could Be Next\">universal school choice law<\/a> was enacted, allowing families to utilize state education funds for various schooling \u200boptions. Despite claims that this initiative might lead to budget shortfalls, the article argues \u200cthat Arizona has actually seen budget surpluses following the implementation of the \u2062program.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Democrat lawmakers employ fear tactics claiming school choice will bankrupt their states. It&rsquo;s a massive lie, and they know it. As a recent Wall Street Journal report notes, school choice programs provide enormous savings for a state&rsquo;s budget &mdash; savings to the tune of millions of dollars each year.<\/p>\n<p>Martin F. Lueken <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/opinion\/school-choice-saves-taxpayer-dollars-education-policy-c4b32b6b?page=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reports<\/a> in the Journal that &ldquo;a recent EdChoice <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/public\/resources\/documents\/EdChoiceOct2024.pdf?mod=article_inline\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">analysis<\/a> of 48 school-choice programs across 26 states through 2022 estimates that <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">school-choice programs generated cumulative net fiscal benefits<\/a> for taxpayers worth between $19.4 billion and $45.6 billion.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Lueken continues, &ldquo;Put another way, for every dollar spent on these programs, taxpayers have saved between $1.70 and $2.64 &mdash; a significant return on investment.&rdquo; Indeed, school choice programs generate tremendous savings.<\/p>\n<p>Public education spending has skyrocketed with no improvement in student learning. On average, across the nation, <a href=\"https:\/\/educationdata.org\/public-education-spending-statistics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">$17,280<\/a> is spent per year on each of the approximately 50 million K-12 public education students. The spending jumped from roughly<a href=\"https:\/\/educationdata.org\/public-education-spending-statistics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> $11,066<\/a> per student just 10 years ago &mdash; an astonishing 56 percent increase. New York state spending is a staggering<a href=\"https:\/\/educationdata.org\/public-education-spending-statistics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> $33,440<\/a> for each K-12 student, yet only <a href=\"https:\/\/newyork.edtrust.org\/call-for-urgent-action-new-york-state-assessment-report-analysis-reveals-proficiency-crisis-for-students\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">45 percent<\/a> of third-grade students are proficient in reading. Regarding math achievement, only <a href=\"https:\/\/newyork.edtrust.org\/call-for-urgent-action-new-york-state-assessment-report-analysis-reveals-proficiency-crisis-for-students\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">42 percent<\/a> of the state&rsquo;s eighth-grade students scored proficient.<\/p>\n<p>The National Assessment of Educational Progress exam administered to fourth-, eighth-, and 12th-grade students reveals that reading <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationsreportcard.gov\/reading\/nation\/scores\/?grade=4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">scores have declined<\/a> for each tested grade level over the last 10 years.<\/p>\n<p>More money spent on public education has proven not to increase student learning, yet public schools continually claim they are underfunded. However, on average, private schools spend <a href=\"https:\/\/www.privateschoolreview.com\/tuition-stats\/private-school-cost-by-state\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">more than $4,000 less<\/a> per student and achieve better results.<\/p>\n<p>Private schools must prove to student families the return on their financial investment of paid tuition by providing high-quality learning. If not, families may exit the school. However, in the absence of school choice programs, for the vast majority of families unable to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-education-lesson-from-covid-lockdowns-school-choice-is-imperative-for-every-child\/\" title=\"The Education Lesson from COVID Lockdowns: School Choice Is Imperative for Every Child\">afford private school tuition<\/a> or homeschool, public education can hold children hostage in schools failing to provide quality academic learning or keep them safe.<\/p>\n<p>The teachers unions leverage their political power with Democrat lawmakers to continue to increase public education funding void of academic accountability while also working relentlessly to maintain the public education near-monopoly.<\/p>\n<p>Dating back to the prolonged public school closures, when parents had a front-row seat in their children&rsquo;s classrooms, the lack of quality academic learning and far-left political indoctrination caused masses of parents to desperately desire an alternative education option for their children.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, many Republican governors and legislators have listened and worked to advance widespread school choice, known as education freedom. In 2022, Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed universal school choice into law in his state, allowing all families to use a portion of their child&rsquo;s state education funding through an education savings account (ESA) to select the education option that will best serve their child. At that time, and continually since, now-Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.heritage.org\/education\/commentary\/arizona-gov-katie-hobbs-declares-war-educational-choice\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">claimed<\/a> the program will &ldquo;bankrupt the state.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>With the ESA, parents are eligible to allocate typically <a href=\"https:\/\/www.azed.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/02\/FINAL_ESA%20Draft_Governors%20Report%201.11.24%20copy%20secured%202.pdf\">between $7,000 and $8,000<\/a> per child. In contrast, public education in Arizona receives <a href=\"https:\/\/www.myheraldreview.com\/free_access\/op-ed-esas-did-not-bankrupt-arizonas-state-budget\/article_934bf166-6f9a-11ef-aadf-7725bdef63ba.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">over<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goldwaterinstitute.org\/record-breaking-15k-per-kid-spending-in-az-public-schools-amid-esa-growth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">$12,000<\/a> per student each year from state and local taxes. Add in federal funding, and that number jumps.<\/p>\n<p>Yet, in 2023, Hobbs declared that the school choice program could create a general fund shortfall of nearly <a href=\"https:\/\/azgovernor.gov\/office-arizona-governor\/news\/2023\/07\/governor-katie-hobbs-statement-new-school-voucher-cost\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">$320 million<\/a>. Far from that case, the year prior, which was the first year of the universal ESA program, Matt Beienburg of the Goldwater Institute<a href=\"https:\/\/www.goldwaterinstitute.org\/arizonas-universal-esa-program-a-history-of-surplus-savings-media-misinformation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> reported<\/a> that &ldquo;the state of Arizona posted a $2 billion <em>surplus<\/em>.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In August, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne <a href=\"https:\/\/www.azed.gov\/communications\/state-education-funding-comes-under-budget-demolishes-esa-budget-myth\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a>, &ldquo;Having a surplus of more than $4 million is proof positive that the critics who have claimed the ESA program will bust not only the state&rsquo;s education budget but the entire budget itself were always wrong. It was always a myth, and that myth is utterly demolished.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>If anyone should be against ESAs, it&rsquo;s Horne due to his position over public instruction, but he understands the truth: Public schools are not meeting the needs of all students. When talking about a portion of state education funding going to parents to select the school that will best meet the needs of their unique children, Horne <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3Qluxfz9MHE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">stated<\/a>, &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t understand how anybody can be so heartless just to say the family can&rsquo;t do that except that they are so immersed in ideology that they lose sight of what&rsquo;s in the interest of the students.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The bottom line is that when families receive an ESA, which is typically around half of the total the state spends per public education student, the state saves money. The more students participating in the program, the more money the state saves.<\/p>\n<p>Universal school choice benefits parents, students, taxpayers, communities, employers of the future workforce, the state&rsquo;s economy, and even students who remain in the public school &mdash; because when school choice is present in a community the learning of all students improves, even students who remain in their traditional public school due to the free-market principle of competition.<\/p>\n<p>It is time for all states to employ universal education freedom. It is in the best interest of children and the state&rsquo;s bottom line.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Dr. Keri D. Ingraham is a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute, Director of the American Center for Transforming Education, and a Senior Fellow at Independent Women&rsquo;s Forum.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Democrats falsely claim school choice will bankrupt states<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1539,"featured_media":2357825,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Education-Writing.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[43481,33940,38835,38091,8956],"class_list":["post-2357824","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist","tag-budget-savings","tag-education-funding","tag-public-policy","tag-school-choice","tag-taxpayers"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Education-Writing.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2357824","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1539"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2357824"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2357824\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2357825"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2357824"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2357824"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2357824"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}