Three states joined the other 11 states and passed universal school choice legislation.
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon has signed a bill that extends the school selection program to universal eligibility.
The Steamboat Traditional Scholarship Act will provide $7,000 to non-public schools for tuition or tutoring during the 2025-2026 academic year.
Rep. Ocean Andrew, the sponsor of the bill, said the signing of the bill marked a “major victory for families in Wyoming to sign HB 199 as the law.”
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Republican Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon signed a bill that extends school selection program to universal eligibility. (Rhianna Gelhart/Wyoming Tribune Eagle via AP, file)
“This ESA program is a huge step to expanding educational freedom and ensuring that parents (not governments) have the ultimate say in their children’s education,” Andrew said.
Idaho passed universal school choice legislation a week ago.
Republican Gov. Brad Little signed Idaho’s parents’ choice tax credit as law. The measure will provide up to $5,000 per student with eligibility fees related to their education, including tuition and admission fees.
“With the $50 million parent-choice tax credit program passed, Idaho students and families have a wider range of school options.
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Idaho Gov. Brad Little has issued an executive order against illegal voting, which is rare in the state. (Darin Oswald/Idaho Politician/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Tennessee legislature passed the universal private school credentials bill on January 20, which was opposed by some rural Republican lawmakers.
“I have long believed that we can have the best public schools and give parents a choice in their children’s education, regardless of income or postal code,” Lee said in a statement. The Education Freedom Act provides students with $7,296 to cover education costs and private school tuition.
Lee signed the bill on February 12, hoping to start the program in the 2025-2026 school year.
The three states that passed universal school selection legislation are part of the trend of expanding children’s education options in the red state. Legislators want to provide educational savings accounts for all K-12 students to use taxpayer funds to replace local public schools such as charter schools, private schools and home schools.
Tennessee, Idaho and Wyoming are many countries that live in rural areas. Rural schools tend to face funding challenges due to low enrollment rates and scarce resources. Rural Republicans, who were once a barrier to school selection measures, have turned to support the policy.
“The momentum on the Education Freedom Front this year should be lying in bed in the myth that rural voters don’t want school choices,” said Corey Deangelis, senior fellow at the American Cultural Program.
“Rural states are leading the school choice revolution. This year three states have passed the universal school choice, each of which — Idaho, Tennessee and Wyoming — rank among the top 20 rural countries in the country, according to Census Bureau data.”
Republican Governor Greg Abbott recently announced that he had enough votes to pass years of efforts to unify Republicans’ support for school selection after passing a school selection bill. (Brendan Bell/Getty Image)
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Texas has been facing an uphill battle as Republican lawmakers representing schools in rural areas don’t match Gov. Greg Abbott’s vision for school choice. The Education Savings Account for Members, including Republicans, could lose money from public schools, which is crucial for schools in rural areas.
Abbott recently announced that he had enough votes to pass years of efforts to unify Republicans’ support for school selection after passing a school selection bill.
A total of 14 states passed the universal school choice. Indiana’s Choice Scholarship Program allows children from low- and middle-income families to obtain credentials to attend private schools. It turns out that 98% of families are eligible Almost universal.
