Critics of Education Savings Accounts often argue that the program offers little to rural Iowa because most private schools are located in larger communities. The enrollment data says otherwise. As I wrote back in April in the 2022–23 school year, the last school year before ESAs, through 2025–26, 186 rural public school districts saw […]

Based on negative press coverage in other states, a common claim made about Iowa’s Students First ESA program by critics is that parents could use the money for amusement park tickets or a family vacation. No, they can’t. ESA funds are restricted to accredited nonpublic school tuition, fees, and a defined list of eligible educational […]

Video has surfaced of comments State Auditor Rob Sand, the Democratic nominee for governor, made at the Iowa State Education Association’s delegate assembly in April. Discussing Iowa’s Students First Education Savings Accounts, which he continues to call school vouchers, Sand said: “We have a school voucher system that has no oversight. Right? No oversight. That’s […]

One of the most common arguments against school choice is the slogan, “No public money for private schools.” It sounds simple, but it is not applied consistently. Public money reaches private institutions all the time. It happens in health care, higher education, housing, food assistance, child care, and other public programs. The question is not […]

As we prepare to celebrate Independence Day, many of us will gather with family and friends, watch fireworks, attend parades, and reflect on the ideals that gave birth to our nation 250 years ago. Among those ideals is a simple but profound truth: people are best governed when they are free to make decisions for […]