Public Dollars Belong in Public Schools
Imagine a day in the life of a Michigan third grader with a big day ahead of them. They start by riding the bus to school so their parents can get to work. In the morning, they take a spelling test and get their best score yet because they’ve been working hard with a Title I instructor. The afternoon is spent doing crafts with materials their teacher bought out of their own pocket and reading books loaned by the public library. The best part of this third grader’s day is the grand finale: the (free) basketball program they get to do with their friends after school. This big day is made possible by public schools and public dollars.
Public schools are the foundation of our communities. Responsible for educating and developing the next generation, they have the important task of shaping our collective future. There is no question that one of the most valuable investments we can make is in our young people and their education.
Unfortunately, the Trump administration’s new federal school voucher program threatens to siphon federal dollars away from public schools and redirect them into private institutions that can pick and choose who they admit. Each state’s governor has the power to opt in or out of this federal program, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is holding firm at undecided — but this should be an easy no.
The federal vouchers being proposed by the Trump administration would allow private schools to receive public dollars while maintaining admission policies that exclude students with disabilities, LGBTQ+ students, multilingual learners, and students of color. Only public schools are required to educate every child who walks through their doors and serve students regardless of disability, religion, family income, race, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Vouchers have often been used to perpetuate segregation and separate students by income, race, and disability status — dividing students rather than bringing them together.
Public schools, which serve 90 percent of all children, would suffer deep cuts from this voucher scheme, as federal tax credits reduce funding available for essential services like Title I, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and school nutrition programs. These are services that support students’ learning and programs that keep students fed.
Public schools are already chronically underfunded, and a voucher scheme would only exacerbate this issue. Amidst teacher shortages, skyrocketing costs, and growing student needs, Michigan should not divert resources away from schools that serve everyone. Public schools are also accountable to the public. Their budgets, performance, school board meetings, and more are all subject to standards of transparency, accountability, and public scrutiny. The same cannot be said for private schools.
By opting into this program, which states will have to do on an annual basis, governors are enabling a massive diversion of public money into private hands, undermining the stability of their state’s public school system and deepening inequalities in education. Michigan students and their families deserve better than a system that rewards discrimination and undercuts public education.
We need to make it clear to Gov. Whitmer and the next wave of decision-makers representing us in Lansing and DC from across Michigan that folks across the state oppose these vouchers. Michigan’s children deserve our investment, and our communities are stronger when we support education for every single child.
Click here to take action now to urge Gov. Whitmer to OPT OUT of Trump’s federal school voucher program. No public money in private schools!
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Michigan Education Justice Coalition (MEJC) michiganedjustice.org
