Keep Public Funds for Public Schools: Oppose Vouchers

WHEREAS, the AFT recognizes the importance of strong public schools to provide opportunities for our students and teachers and their families—public schools are the pillars of our communities; and

WHEREAS, public schools serve 90 percent of American children; and

WHEREAS, when voters learn vouchers defund neighborhood public schools, two-thirds of Americans want more funding for public schools, not privatization schemes; and

WHEREAS, the Federal Education Tax Credit established under P.L. 119-21 creates an optional voucher-style program that states must consider each year, starting in 2027; and

WHEREAS, when used for non-public school funding, vouchers funnel millions in taxpayer dollars to wealthy families already in private schools, while students who transfer often see drops in achievement that last for years; and

WHEREAS, vouchers defund public schools. When students leave with vouchers, public schools lose the equivalent enrollment-based funding but still have the same fixed costs for things like buildings, buses and utilities, which forces cuts to educators, programs and support services for the vast majority of students who remain; and

WHEREAS, voucher programs lead to fiscal crises. Voucher programs start small, then explode in cost and can cause billion-dollar budget deficits that harm both school districts across the country and all public services; 

WHEREAS, vouchers primarily subsidize the wealthy. Data from states with expansive voucher programs shows they overwhelmingly benefit families who have already left the public system, or who never participated in the first place: 95 percent of Arkansas voucher recipients were already enrolled in private schools; 71 percent of Arizona voucher users never attended public schools; Indiana voucher recipients were more likely to earn over $100,000 than under $50,000; and in Texas, 75 percent of voucher applicants were from private schools, home-schooled, or were never enrolled in public schools; and

WHEREAS, vouchers increase segregation. Studies show voucher programs increase school segregation, not reduce it, as affluent families are more likely to leave public schools, concentrating students of poverty in defunded public schools; and private schools can legally discriminate in admissions, cherry-picking students by any criteria they want:

RESOLVED, that the AFT will work with our allies across the country to pass legislation such as the Keep Public Funds in Public Schools Act of 2026 that will repeal the private school voucher tax credit enacted as part of the One Big Ugly Bill (P.L. 119-21). Repealing the tax credit will help ensure taxpayer dollars are invested in strengthening our public schools and are not diverted to K-12 private and religious schools' tax-credit private school voucher program; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will continue to oppose federal voucher schemes that drain public dollars from our public schools, jeopardize student success and lead to more segregated, discriminatory schools, and will fight to ensure that public funds stay in the public schools that serve all children.

Adopted July 19, 2026