School choice: Should parents control education dollars?

School choice has become a hotly debated issue in American education, with proponents arguing that parents should have the right to control where and how their education dollars are spent. At its core, school choice is about giving families the freedom to choose the best educational setting for their children, whether that’s a public school, private school, charter school, or homeschooling. Here are the key reasons why many conservatives believe parents should control education dollars:

Empowering Parents to Make the Best Decisions for Their Children

One of the main arguments for school choice is that parents, not bureaucrats, should decide where their children are educated. Every child is unique, and not all schools are created equal. Public schools may work well for some, but others may benefit from specialized programs, private schools, or more flexible homeschooling arrangements. School choice empowers parents to select the option that best fits their child’s academic needs, learning style, and values.

By allowing education dollars to follow the student rather than funding schools based on geography, parents have more control over the quality of their child’s education. Programs like education savings accounts (ESAs), vouchers, and tax-credit scholarships give families the financial flexibility to make these choices without being bound by their zip code.

Encouraging Competition and Improving School Quality

When parents have the ability to choose where to send their children, schools are forced to compete for students. This competition incentivizes schools to improve their performance, innovate, and provide a higher quality education to attract and retain students. In areas where school choice programs have been implemented, studies show that public schools often improve their academic performance because they are no longer guaranteed funding based on enrollment .

Without the pressure of competition, many public schools remain stagnant, especially in underperforming districts where students and families have few options. School choice puts power back into the hands of families and encourages schools to raise their standards.

Providing Opportunities for Low-Income Families

Critics of the current education system argue that it disproportionately benefits wealthier families who can afford to move to better school districts or pay for private education. Low-income families, by contrast, are often trapped in failing schools simply because of where they live. School choice programs help level the playing field by allowing low-income families to use vouchers, scholarships, or ESAs to access better educational opportunities for their children.

Instead of being forced into a one-size-fits-all system, parents in disadvantaged communities gain access to high-performing private schools or specialized programs that may have otherwise been out of reach. This is a matter of educational equity, ensuring that all students, regardless of their socioeconomic status, have the chance to succeed.

Upholding Core Values and Beliefs

Many parents want their children’s education to reflect their family’s values, whether religious, moral, or cultural. Public schools, bound by government mandates and standardized curricula, often lack the flexibility to accommodate these personal values. School choice allows parents to select schools—such as private religious schools—that align with their beliefs and offer a moral or faith-based education alongside academic instruction.

For conservative families who may oppose progressive policies in public education, such as gender ideology or certain sex education curricula, school choice provides an escape. It allows them to ensure that their children are taught in an environment that respects their values.

Reducing Bureaucratic Waste

Public education in the United States is riddled with bureaucratic inefficiencies. The vast sums of taxpayer money allocated to education often get tied up in administrative costs, union contracts, and bloated bureaucracies, rather than directly benefiting students. School choice disrupts this inefficient model by allowing education dollars to go directly to the schools that provide the best outcomes for students, rather than to the bureaucracies that govern failing schools.