School Choice in 2008
by Ryan Sager
Wed, 9 May 2007 at 1:43 PM
updated Wed, 9 May 2007 at 1:50 PM
It's hard to say at this point whether school choice will become much of an issue in the 2008 election. If Rudy Giuliani is the Republican nominee, it will at least be an issue, as he's made it rather clear he'll be focusing on vouchers as the solution to poorly performing urban public schools. (John McCain has never made school choice a priority, haven't heard anything from Mitt Romney on the issue yet.)
So, it's worth taking note of some of the latest research on the fiscal impact of school choice, which is, in many cases, what concerns middle-class voters about the idea.
A study just out from the Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation (a pro-voucher group) purports to show that the 18 voucher and tuition-tax-credit programs that exist currently in America have saved a total of $444 million, from 1990 to 2006.
What's more, according to the press release: "Instructional spending in areas affected by school choice has uniformly increased."
Taken together that means that school districts and states are spending slightly less on education, but more on each individual student left in traditional public schools.
Personally, I'm more concerned with whether vouchers work (studies show they do) than with what they cost. More school spending in return for more accountability would be a fine bargain. But this should at least combat the idea that vouchers "steal money" from traditional public schools.
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