If you can’t beat it

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MYRNA BROWN, HOST: It’s Thursday the 8th of October.

This is WORLD Radio and we’re glad you’ve joined us today! Good morning, I’m Myrna Brown.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard.

First up on The World and Everything in It: a new national school choice program.

Last week, the Treasury Department released a proposal outlining specifics for a federal school choice tax credit program.

BROWN: School choice supporters say the program could bring more students to private schools…but some critics disapprove of that.

Here’s WORLD’s Lauren Dunn.

LAUREN DUNN: Jaime Summerlin works as development director at Northstar Christian Academy in Rochester, N.Y.

JAIME SUMMERLIN: We have completely outgrown our building, so our classrooms. We've done everything to use every nook and cranny of this building that we're currently in.

Since 2019, the school’s enrollment has almost doubled, to 450 students.

SUMMERLIN: So we were able to make space for one additional classroom this summer. It's a smaller classroom. It's an English classroom, but that teacher, last year she was moving all over for her classes.

Now the school is preparing for even more growth if New York Gov. Kathy Hochul opts in to the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit.

SUMMERLIN: We're not going to wait until she signs that paper. For us, we're believing that this is going to happen, and we're looking forward to this happening. So it's my job to make sure that our people are educated and ready to just start giving as soon as we can.

The 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill act established the Education Freedom Tax Credit, a federal, nationwide school choice tax credit program. It allows taxpayers to donate to a scholarship-granting organization, or SGO, and receive a matching tax credit up to $1,700 per individual filer. The SGO will then disburse the money to families for expenses like tutoring or private school tuition. States must opt in for families and schools to receive the funds.

ASHLING PRESTON: It has the potential to be the most transformative education policy passed in the United States in the last several decades.

Ashling Preston is the director of federal affairs for the American Federation for Children. She says the measure will benefit millions of children.

PRESTON: In terms of how many children it could benefit and how much resources it can bring to bear, it is huge. It is, some have said, the tipping point in the school choice conversation.

Supporters estimate 90-95% of U.S. students will qualify.

Preston says taxpayers need to understand the program doesn’t affect public school funding.

PRESTON: This is something you hear a lot, this misinformation out there that this is going to somehow take money away from public education, when what we know is this is additive. This adds to everything.

Ballotpedia says at least 30 states have opted in so far. Jared Polis in Colorado is the only Democratic governor to sign on, though Hochul has indicated New York will follow suit.

But Jorge Elorza with Democrats for Education Reform says the measure is bigger than politics.

JORGE ELORZA: There is nothing inherently conservative or Republican about these tools. They're neutral tools, right? This tax credit, these new funding tools.

Elorza sees benefit for public school students and calls opting in a “no-brainer.”

ELORZA: If you opt out, the money leaves. If you opt in, it stays in your state. That's about as easy a decision as a governor will ever have to make.

Elorza thinks Democratic governors will eventually opt in as the program grows.

Some teachers’ unions and education advocacy groups have argued the measure sends taxpayer money to private causes.

The Southern Education Foundation is one of those, but is coordinating with SGOs working with public school students. Fred Jones Jr. is the group’s senior director of public policy and advocacy.

ELORZA: If we can repeal it later, we will. But for right now, this, like us working to put the alliance forward, we think is the best thing that we can do for our kids in our region.

Back in New York, Jaime Summerlin hopes Gov. Hochul makes her opt-in official soon.

SUMMERLIN: I'm praying that she you know makes this decision to sign this sooner than later. Really, I've been praying for states all around our country who have not signed yet or haven't even opted verbally to do this, because I do believe that this is so beneficial to families.

In the meantime, Summerlin is learning the ins and outs of the program to answer donor questions. Her school has joined an SGO in anticipation of Hochul’s approval. The program starts January first.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Lauren Dunn.

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