Democrats, experts call for revocation of school voucher program under adoption by states

Senate and House Democrats, backed by education advocacy groups, are pushing bills to repeal a national school voucher tax-credit program set to launch in early 2027 under the 2025 tax law, arguing it diverts public resources to private schools with few strings attached. At least 30 states have opted in to the program, which offers up to $1,700 in federal tax credits to people who donate to K-12 scholarship organizations.

Critics like EdTrust's Augustus Mays and the Education Law Center's Jessica Levin say the credit is public money by another name, since it substitutes for taxes that would otherwise fund state and federal treasuries, and note private schools aren't bound by the same disability-rights obligations as public ones. The repeal effort, led by Sen. Mazie Hirono and Rep. Gwen Moore, has dozens of cosponsors but no realistic path through a GOP-controlled Congress.

The Education Department, through spokesperson Savannah Newhouse, dismissed the criticism as 'fearmongering' and insisted the program takes 'not a single dollar' from public schools because it's funded by 'the generosity of private donors.' The department did not address the Levin's point that the donations are themselves tax-subsidized, which is rather the whole argument.

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