Pennsylvania is National Model for School Choice—With Room to Grow

Originally published by LNP-Lancester Online.

The numbers are in: Pennsylvania is a national leader in school choice. For our students and families seeking alternatives to dangerous, chronically failing, zip-code-assigned public schools, the future is bright and getting brighter. And our commonwealth is leading by example as a national model for expanding educational freedom.

Newly released figures from Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development show a drastic increase in scholarships going toward students and families seeking educational alternatives. During the 2023–24 school year, the commonwealth’s stalwart tax-credit scholarship programs—the Educational Improvement Tax Credit and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit programs—awarded more than 101,000 scholarships, an increase of more than 15,000 students served over the prior year. These scholarships helped Pennsylvania families access classrooms that better fit their kids’ needs.

These numbers place Pennsylvania at the top of the heap nationally. Only two states, Florida and Ohio, have provided more tax-credit scholarships. Interestingly, both states offer universal participation, meaning all K-12 students are eligible—a milestone Pennsylvania has not yet achieved. (Key word: “yet.”) Despite that disadvantage, the commonwealth is doing well comparatively.

Read more at LNP-Lancaster Online.