If governors opt in to the program, tax dollars will go toward private school tuition for children in their states, something many Democrats are uncomfortable with. But if they say no, their states will lose out on a new bottomless bucket of federal cash that could help public school students, too.
Twenty-eight governors have said they will opt in, including all but one Republican (who remains undecided), according to tracking from EdWeek, a news organization that covers education. Two Democratic governors have said their states will participate, and four have said they won’t, but most have ducked the question, as pressure rises from all sides.
“What makes the program tricky is that it blurs the party lines on school choice. It’s not a traditional voucher,” said Michelle Dimino, director of education at Third Way, a centrist Democratic think tank, who is urging states to opt in. “But opposition to any school choice policy is deeply ingrained for many Democrats.”