DEFENDING PUBLIC EDUCATION
Public Dollars Belong in
Public Schools
Governor Hochul Must Reject the Education Freedom Tax Credit.
This program is not about education. It is about disinvestment.
The Education Freedom Tax Credit is a voucher program with extra steps that redirects federal tax revenue away from public priorities and toward private education.
Why This Matters
This program is not about education. It is about disinvestment.
As schools lose students, they receive less funding while still being responsible for fixed costs like utilities, maintenance, and personnel. That can lead to teacher layoffs, program cuts, and school closures.
It harms public schools.
It deepens racial and economic segregation.
Voucher programs have a long history tied to resistance to Brown v. Board of Education. Today, comparable programs disproportionately benefit families who can already afford private education.
Private schools are not subject to the same civil rights requirements as public schools and may exclude Black and Brown students, students with disabilities, LGBTQ+ students and families, multilingual learners, and economically disadvantaged students.
It lacks civil rights guardrails.
How Does the Program Work?
A Voucher Program With Extra Steps
#1
New York
opts in.
Governor Hochul decides whether New York will participate in the federal program.
#2
Individuals contribute to scholarship-granting organizations.
Eligible scholarship-granting organizations, or SGOs, distribute educational grants to K-12 students.
#3
Contributors receive a federal tax credit.
An individual who contributes to an SGO receives the same amount, up to $1,700, from the federal government in the form of a tax credit.
#4
Funds can support private education.
SGOs distribute funds for expenses connected with education, including private school tuition.
The result:
Federal tax revenue that could otherwise support public priorities instead subsidizes private education.
Who Benefits, and at What Cost?
The maximum federal tax credit an individual can receive for contributing to a scholarship-granting organization.
$1,700
The estimated annual cost of the program. There is no limit on the number of credits or total spending.
$25 Billion - $51 Billion
When Florida and Indiana established comparable voucher programs, about 70% of recipients were already enrolled in private schools.
About 70%
Tell Governor Hochul: Don’t Opt In
Reject the Education Freedom Tax Credit and keep public dollars in public schools.
Frequently Asked Questions
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This program is not “free money” for New York. Federal resources could instead support public schools, healthcare, housing, infrastructure, nutrition, and other public priorities.
Public schools also lose funding as enrollment declines while still having to cover fixed costs like utilities, maintenance, and personnel. Further enrollment declines can lead to teacher layoffs, program cuts, and school closures.
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Yes. The Education Freedom Tax Credit is a voucher program with extra steps. Individuals contribute to scholarship-granting organizations and receive the same amount, up to $1,700, as a federal tax credit. Those organizations then distribute funds for education expenses, including private school tuition.
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Experience from similar programs shows that vouchers disproportionately benefit families who can already afford private education. When Florida and Indiana established voucher programs, about 70% of recipients were already enrolled in private schools.
Want to learn more? Read our full Voucher Program One-Pager.