The private school choice boom leaves behind many kids in public school

By — Bianca Vázquez Toness, Associated Press Bianca Vázquez Toness, Associated Press By — Sharon Lurye, Associated Press Sharon Lurye, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/the-private-school-choice-boom-leaves-behind-many-kids-in-public-school Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter The private school choice boom leaves behind many kids in public school Education Jun 17, 2026 5:30 PM EDT FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — The Catholic school tour ended, and Maria Contreras felt an overwhelming desire to enroll her 7-year-old. But first, a difficult question for the principal. The second grader has trouble focusing. He doesn't listen to teachers and runs around the classroom, she explained. Could he be expelled? More families across the country are experimenting with private school as states — and soon the federal government — use taxpayer-supported scholarships to encourage them to leave public school. Soon, half of all American schoolkids will be able to apply for state money to finance a private education, and many states will offer the scholarships even to families with high incomes. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. In theory, these programs are supposed to give children an educational opportunity they wouldn't otherwise have. In reality, students already in private or home school are most likely to benefit, an analysis by The Associated Press shows. The reasons are complicated. In some cases, public school families don't know about these scholarship programs, known as vouchers or education savings accounts. They may lack transportation to get their kids to private school. Some worry their child won't survive in a more strict disciplinary environment. Sometimes, as in Texas, the latest state to join the already $10.5 billion private school choice movement, the law is written to benefit families who know how to navigate complicated education systems. Contreras and her husband had grown up Catholic in Mexico. They moved to Texas, he found a job as a welder, and eventually they got green cards. They were relatively happy sending their three older children to Fort Worth public schools. READ MORE: Indiana becomes the latest state to receive flexibility from Trump on federal education spending But their youngest son, Ian, presented different challenges. He was reading far below grade level. Contreras asked Ian's teacher in the fall to test him for a learning disability, not knowing there was a legally mandated process for requesting an evaluation. For months, no one tested her son. She wasn't alone. Students at her son's elementary school, where nearly all students are economically disadvantaged and the majority are still learning English, have been diagnosed with learning disabilities at a surprisingly low rate. Only 4% qualify for special education services, compared with 14% dis