Priorities, Please.
A modest school choice tax credit is making headlines—and some people nervous. They shouldn’t be.
Everyone’s talking about it.
The “Big Beautiful Bill” just introduced into law a new federal tax credit designed to expand school choice by encouraging donations to nonprofits that help families afford private or alternative K–12 education.
It’s got fans and critics alike. K12 Dive summed it up well:
“Reaction has been swift, with opponents calling the law harmful to public schools and supporters labeling it as a historic move for educational freedom.”
I’m a fan. But let’s be real: I don’t see why opponents are so threatened.
The policy is modest. Only individuals (not corporations) can contribute. The tax credit? Just $1,700. That’s it.
And to sweeten—or maybe sour—the deal, the bill includes a Devil’s bargain: states must opt in before Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs) can even get off the ground. In other words, access depends on state permission, not family demand.
Imagine if the child and dependent care tax credit worked that way. Or any number of other federal benefits.
Let’s talk about scale.
During and after COVID, the federal government poured $190 billion into public K–12 education to “reverse learning loss.” (I covered this in Forbes at the time - a lot). That money didn’t move the needle much. National proficiency? Still less than 35% on most everything.
To match that $190 billion with this new credit, we’d need 111 million people to donate $1,700 apiece. Good luck with that.
Now imagine we’d just given parents the money directly. Could they have done better? I think so.
(Some did! Mississippi and Louisiana used their funds to continue working to overhaul reading instruction—and they’re crushing it.)
Final thought:
To the critics who say this is some kind of threat to public education:
Let’s stop the whining, shall we?
This bill isn’t the end of anything. It’s the beginning of a smarter, more parent-powered future.
So before we clutch our pearls over a $1,700 tax credit, how about we focus on a few things that actually deserve outrage?
Once exceptional charter school authorizer SUNY just rejected two promising charter schools—Schenectady Scholars and Urban Collegiate Academy—in a district where students desperately need better options. Why? Politics. Not quality.
A New York Times piece highlights a major problem: boys are adrift without male role models. At a crucial time, more boys are being raised without fathers. As @IanRowe puts it, the article never mentions the obvious solution: promote healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood.
“At a crucial time in their lives, boys are increasingly cared for by women… This lack of male role models… is contributing to their struggles in school and employment.”
Meanwhile, a Virginia study shows that over 85% of kids living with both parents earn mostly A’s and B’s—no matter their race. The same can’t be said for kids in father-absent homes. Author Robert Pondiscio puts it plainly:
“The achievement gap is a family formation gap.”
All of this underscores a simple truth:
If we want better outcomes for kids, we need more education communities that work—and more trust in parents to make the decisions that matter.
The tax credit doesn’t fix everything. But it gives families a chance. And that’s worth fighting for.
While we may disagree on the best path forward in education, I hope we can all come together in prayer for the families affected by the devastating floods in Texas—especially for the children whose lives were lost far too soon. May they rest in peace, and may their loved ones find comfort and strength in the days ahead.
Jeanne