Letting money fund students, not systems, leads to more effective education for all.
Every child deserves an equal opportunity to succeed. But the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that not all children are getting that opportunity when it comes to K-12 education in Georgia. Many families are scrambling to find alternatives to a system that holds on to their children’s education dollars even if it fails to meet their needs.
These families need tools like Promise Scholarships.
By funding students directly, Georgia can give all families the opportunity to choose the education that’s best for their children. Let’s trust parents, not bureaucrats, to make the best decisions for their kids.
Tools like Promise Scholarships for Georgia would mean:
- More graduates
- Up to 15,000 additional Georgia high school graduates every year
- Up to $4,380,000,000 additional economic benefits
- Fewer felonies
- Access to scholarships could be associated with 353 fewer people committing felonies per year
- Fewer felonies would result in nearly $13 million in economic benefit for Georgia
- Savings for taxpayers
- Universal education scholarship accounts save taxpayer funding because they are typically funded at an amount below what would have been spent in district-run public schools
Success Stories: Funding Students, Not Systems
Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program
The average amount of state funding received by students with special needs participating in the program was $6,814.
GOAL Scholarship
Minority students using GOAL scholarships had up to a 22-percentage-point higher likelihood of graduating from high school.
Qualified Education Expense Tax Credit
This program gives options to thousands of Georgia students at about one-third of per-pupil spending in public schools.
D.C. Voucher Program
Private schools in the D.C. voucher program achieved the same math and reading results as the public schools at around a third of the cost.
Unfortunately, this problem won’t go away when COVID-19 does. For too long, lower- and middle-income families in Georgia have had too few opportunities for an effective education. Poor academics, a lack of safety, bullying — all are reasons a child might need a different educational setting. When it comes to education, one size does not fit all.
Tools like Promise Scholarships can help more of Georgia’s students get the education that’s best for them and equip them for the real world. Let’s empower parents and make a genuine commitment to our children, and our future.
