Glossary

School choice

Policies that let families use public education funds or tax benefits to select schools beyond their assigned district school.

Also called: educational choice, parental choice in education

School choice is an umbrella term for policies that give families options other than the public school assigned by residence. It includes public options such as open enrollment, magnet schools and charter schools, and publicly funded access to private schools or home education through vouchers, education savings accounts and tax-credit scholarships.

The modern movement traces to Milton Friedman's 1955 proposal for vouchers. The first publicly funded voucher program began in Milwaukee in 1990, and the Supreme Court held in Zelman v. Simmons-Harris (2002) that including religious schools in a neutral program does not violate the Establishment Clause. Several states have since adopted programs open to all or most students.

Supporters, mostly conservatives and some Democrats, argue that choice empowers parents, creates competition that improves schools and helps children in failing schools. Opponents, including teachers unions and many Democrats, argue that it diverts money from public schools, lacks accountability and may increase segregation. Research on academic results is mixed, with some early voucher studies finding gains for certain groups and some recent studies of newer programs finding declines in test scores. See parental-rights.

Last reviewed November 8, 2026

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Related terms

Education savings account A state-funded account that parents can use for private school tuition, tutoring, homeschooling costs and other approved education expenses. School voucher A government-funded certificate that lets a family pay for tuition at a private school, including religious schools, instead of the local public school. Charter school A publicly funded school operated independently under a charter that frees it from some rules in exchange for accountability for results. Tax-credit scholarship A program giving donors a tax credit for contributions to nonprofit organizations that fund private school scholarships. Homeschooling Education of children at home by parents or tutors rather than in a public or private school, legal in every U.S. state. Parental rights The principle that parents hold primary authority over the upbringing, education and health decisions of their children, a recurring issue in schools.