When discussing bringing vouchers to Kansas, some legislators and lobbyists like to falsely claim vouchers don’t hurt public schools. Here’s the latest report.

“Now, as the new school year begins, the Roosevelt Elementary School District opens with just 13 schools. That’s almost a third fewer than it had last spring, a response to enrollment declines as the state offers unprecedented taxpayer funding for alternatives to public school…Critics complain that vouchers eat up state funding, benefit families who can afford private school on their own, disrupt communities and send tax dollars to schools that face little accountability. Unlike public schools, private schools don’t have to administer state tests. They can pick and choose their students, while public schools must educate everyone….

“The ramifications for public education have been particularly clear in Arizona, offering an early picture of K-12 education under the Republican vision of maximum school choice, or what proponents call education freedom. Here, public schools are starting to close…

“‘They’re putting us against each other. You have this beautiful community of Roosevelt fighting for the scraps,’ said one woman, who said she had twins in the public schools. ‘This is not by accident. This is a coordinated attack to privatize our schools, and I’m sorry that the board has to make these tough decisions…’

“The expansive voucher program also has strained the state budget, with costs projected to top $1 billion this year, far more than originally projected. Because many voucher students were already attending private schools, including many from wealthy families, funding them is a new expense for the state. That’s drained dollars, critics say, that could and should go to public education in a state that ranks 47th in spending on K-12 per-pupil spending.”

See this article from the Washington Post:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2025/08/05/arizona-public-school-closures-voucher-program

Originally posted to Facebook 8/6/25.