Harold Robert Meyer and The ADD Resource Center 05/11/2025
One person’s opinion
Public funding for private schools—via vouchers, tax credits, or education savings accounts—continues to be a contentious issue in the United States. While advocates argue these measures offer families more educational choices and drive competition, growing evidence suggests they often come at the expense of public education. This article explores the impact of diverting public funds to private institutions and how such policies may harm the broader educational system, especially for vulnerable students.
If you’re a parent, educator, policymaker, or concerned citizen, understanding how the flow of educational funding shapes outcomes is essential. Public schools serve over 90% of American children and play a vital role in promoting equality, civic responsibility, and social mobility. Redirecting taxpayer dollars to private schools doesn’t just shift money—it shifts opportunity, accountability, and the foundation of education as a public good.
You may have heard terms like “school vouchers,” “education savings accounts,” or “tuition tax credits.” These are all different ways that public money is redirected to private institutions. Parents receive financial aid—directly or indirectly—to pay for private tuition, often for religious or elite schools. While the programs are marketed as expanding choice, they come with significant trade-offs.
Public schools are largely funded through local, state, and federal taxes. When students leave public schools for private ones using public money, districts often lose per-pupil funding. This loss doesn’t scale down the school’s fixed costs—like building maintenance, transportation, and staff salaries. As a result, the remaining students must share fewer resources, often in overcrowded classrooms with overextended teachers.
According to the National Education Policy Center, voucher programs in states like Arizona and Wisconsin have led to measurable declines in public school funding without clear academic gains in private schools.
Supporters of funding private schools argue that it offers low-income families the chance to escape failing public schools. But in reality, private schools can and do reject applicants. Students with disabilities, behavioral challenges, or English-language needs are often not admitted or accommodated.
This means that many of the families who need the most help are left behind in public schools that are now even less equipped to serve them.
One of the less discussed outcomes of school voucher programs is increased segregation. When families self-select into private schools—often aligned by religion, culture, or income—the social fabric of education becomes fragmented. Research shows that some voucher systems have led to schools that are more racially and economically segregated than their public counterparts.
When public money funds public schools, there’s a clear expectation of oversight: standardized testing, teacher certification, curriculum standards, and public reporting. Private schools receiving public funds are not always held to the same standards.
This lack of transparency makes it hard to assess whether these schools provide a better or even comparable education. In some states, voucher-funded private schools have shown test scores that are lower than those of their public school peers.
Public education is not just about academics—it’s about preparing citizens, building community, and leveling the playing field. When public funds are diverted to private institutions, the state may effectively give up on improving the system that serves the majority.
Long-term studies have yet to show consistent academic gains from private school funding initiatives. In fact, the opposite is often true. Programs in Ohio and Louisiana, for example, saw academic declines in voucher-funded private schools.
As more public money goes to private schools, it becomes harder to reverse course. You risk creating a two-tier system—elite, well-funded private options for the few, and under-resourced public schools for everyone else.
Special education is federally mandated under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), but it’s expensive to implement—requiring trained staff, therapies, and adaptive materials. Public schools must serve every child, regardless of ability. Private schools, even when publicly funded, are not bound by the same legal obligations.
When public dollars shift to private schools, districts often lose the ability to maintain or expand special education services. The burden of providing costly support systems falls disproportionately on the public schools that serve the highest-need populations.
Private schools frequently turn away students who require Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or behavioral interventions. Even when accepted, these students may not receive the same level of service they would in a public setting. This creates a two-tiered system where children with disabilities are effectively sidelined.
Students who move to private schools under voucher programs often lose many of the legal protections they had in public schools. For example, they may not have the right to due process or the same scope of accommodations. Parents may not even be fully informed about these trade-offs.
If you care about educational equity, public accountability, and the role of schools in a democratic society, it’s crucial to question policies that divert public funds into private hands. Choice sounds appealing, but not when it comes at the cost of your neighbor’s child losing access to quality education. And for students with special needs, the stakes are even higher. Their right to a meaningful education should not be collateral damage in a policy experiment.
Disclaimer:
Our content is intended solely for educational and informational purposes and should not be viewed as a substitute for professional advice. While we strive for accuracy, we cannot guarantee that errors or omissions are absent. Our content may utilize artificial intelligence tools, which can result in inaccurate or incomplete information. Users are encouraged to verify all information independently.
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