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Originally published by The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Pennsylvania public schools continue to fail kids with special needs. According to recent coverage by The Inquirer, school districts spend millions of dollars each year to send these special-education students to private schools. In a Right-to-Know request, the Commonwealth Foundation obtained data revealing that the Philadelphia School District spent more than $35 million to send 681 students to non-district schools—more than double the commonwealth’s per-pupil spending. School districts don’t—and can’t—serve every kid. And families continue to demonstrate their discontent with public education by voting with their feet.

Nationally, public school enrollment has lost more than one million students since 2019, while more families have turned to charter schools, private schools, and homeschooling. There’s a simple solution: provide educational choice scholarship accounts to low-income families. Currently, at least 15 states have adopted scholarships or Education Savings Accounts specifically for kids with special needs, enabling families to afford schools that serve their unique needs. These scholarships would be more equitable than settlements that don’t address the deeper systemic flaws inherent in public schools. Pennsylvania must follow suit and ensure our neediest students aren’t left behind.

Read more in The Philadelphia Inquirer.