Public Funds Public Schools and National Allies Call on Governors to Reject the Federal Private School Voucher Program 

Today, Public Funds Public Schools, a project of Education Law Center, and over 20 national education, civil rights, labor, and faith-based organizations published an open letter to governors in all 50 states urging them to protect students, families, and public schools by not opting in to the federal private school voucher program set to begin in January 2027.

The letter cautions governors that the federal voucher program will primarily divert federal funds, which should be used for public education and other public goods, to private education providers, and will harm the public schools that serve nearly 90 percent of the nation’s students.

The letter points to two decades of evidence from state-level voucher programs demonstrating that these programs undermine public school funding, reduce academic achievement, permit discrimination against students and families, result in the loss of rights for students with disabilities, and are often rife with fraud, waste, and abuse of public funds.

The federal voucher program, which has no education quality standards and even fewer accountability requirements than many state programs, will exacerbate the lack of essential educational resources in public schools, such as teachers, counselors, and special education services, with devastating effects for students, schools and communities.

“Education programs should improve, not harm, educational outcomes, and public dollars should not fund discrimination,” the letter reads. “States should be in the vanguard of protecting public schools, the vibrant hubs of our communities and a cornerstone of our democracy.”

The signers of today’s letter join public education advocates across the nation, including educators and civil rights organizations, who have called on state leaders to reject the federal voucher scheme.

Read today's open letter to governors here and visit the PFPS federal voucher webpage for additional information and resources.