Authors: Dr. Linh Dang, Senior Policy Specialist, Education Policy and Implementation Center; and Dave Greenberg, Senior Policy Analyst, Center for Professional Excellence, National Education Association
Public education has taken a barrage as of late, as is evident from the endless stream of court cases pertaining to religious charters, declining student enrollment, the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education, and now the imminent implementation of the country’s first-ever federal school voucher program. Despite valiant efforts from pro-public education legislators, Trump’s voucher program was passed by Congress and signed into law in 2025. The program requires states to decide whether to participate by the end of 2026. Estimated annual tax expenditures for the program range from $30 to $51 billion and may even eclipse what Congress commits to the two largest preK-12 federal public education programs, Title I and IDEA (which support children in low-income households and students with disabilities, respectively).
School vouchers, often disguised as “education savings accounts,” “parent empowerment scholarships,” or the likes of, are defined as a government-funded payment that allows families to use public tax dollars to pay for their child’s tuition at a private or parochial school – public funds that would have gone to local school districts. In recent years, voucher proponents have deliberately co-opted the term “school choice,” alleging that vouchers provide choice for students, but in reality, vouchers primarily yield more choice for two beneficiaries: 1) intermediary organizations usually referred to as Scholarship Granting Organizations who get to choose which students are awarded a payment at the expense of public schools; and 2) private schools who can carefully curate their student body – which child to admit, turn away, or even try out before expelling. The origin story of vouchers is rooted in resistance to school integration following the Brown v. Board decision of the 1950s. In contrast, public schools stand to serve all students. In fact, 90% of the nation’s school-aged children attend a public school, often one equipped with innovative programming, many of which operate under the radar and out of the spotlight.
It is time to elevate the abundance of options that already exist within public education. Magnet schools are tuition-free public schools that provide meaningful, specialized curricula such as STEM or performing arts, while still subject to state and federal laws. In sharp contrast to vouchers, magnet schools began in the late 1960s with the purpose of desegregating students. Today, magnet schools serve more than 3.5 million students in 4,340 schools across the country. Another movement that has gained traction across the country and can complement magnet schools’ advantages is the Community Schools model.
Instead of diverting resources into private hands, the Community Schools model strengthens public schools from within the community, by and for the community. It begins with an intentional engagement process to identify collective priorities for school improvement. A Community School Coordinator then works with varying school teams to mobilize local assets, partners, and neighborhood resources to create a web of support around the school for the students and their families. This strategy has demonstrated remarkable results in rural communities and urban centers, in red states and blue states, and everywhere in between. In the early 1990s, Kentucky pioneered a statewide rollout of community schools, called Family Resource and Youth Service Centers, and has consistently risen in the state rankings of education systems. New Mexico, Florida, New York, Minnesota, and Vermont have also invested state funding into community schools. Compelling research conducted in several states, including Massachusetts and Virginia, points to up to $15 in social value and economic benefit for every dollar spent developing a community school. In California, one in four schools is a community school, where a study found that students in community schools gained the equivalent of 43 extra days of math instruction and 36 additional days of English language arts. The Community Schools model reduced chronic absenteeism by approximately 30% and reduced suspension rates by about 15% more than similar schools.
In many places, the Community Schools model has become a powerful complement to magnet schools, ensuring that specialized academic programs are paired with schoolwide shared leadership structures and integrated services for students. Mountain View School in San Diego, for example, is one of the 2,500 schools that are part of the California Community School Partnership Program. Mountain View was initially founded as a charter school but ultimately broke away from its charter organization to join the public school district. Its status as a pilot magnet school, coupled with the Community School model, gives it the freedom to innovate with project-based and community-based learning. According to Community School Coordinator Richard Gijon, “Our magnet program, support for multilingual learners, project-based and community-based learning, and community schools strategy are not siloed efforts – they are braided together into a unified approach.” Gijon adds, “we have been able to connect families with food, clothing, healthcare, mental health services, enrichment opportunities, and leadership development while simultaneously strengthening teaching and learning.”
Maryland has the most community schools of any state behind California, with about half of the state’s schools transforming into community schools through over $500 million of annual statewide investment. Arnetta West, a classroom teacher at Bradbury Heights Elementary in Prince George’s County, works hand in hand with Community School Coordinator Dana Brown and PTO President Jay Howard-Brock. They share that the strategy has “leveled the playing field for all our students by connecting them with high-quality enrichment programs that are offered both during and after school – from STEM programs to mentoring and culinary arts – all led by local business owners and mentors who look like them and come from their same communities.”
Community Schools are proof that vouchers are the wrong path for our country. Despite efforts of voucher proponents to sow distrust in our public education system, school vouchers remain unpopular with voters across the political spectrum, as every time vouchers have appeared on a ballot measure, they are rejected by wide margins – most recently in 2024 in Colorado, Kentucky, and Nebraska. A national survey echoed this same sentiment. Voss Research and Strategy’s national poll found that nearly three in four adults view public schools favorably, especially given that public education is an institution where approximately 50 million students attend and have legal rights and protections, not just perceived choice. Together, we must reject privatization efforts and fully invest in public school options such as magnet schools and the Community Schools model that deliver real choice, innovation, and community-driven solutions without leaving any student behind.
4005 Wisconsin Avenue NW #5997
Washington, DC 20016
202.824.0672