Democratic candidates for the governorship of Wisconsin, state Rep. Francesca Hong and former Lieutenant Gov. Mandela Barnes, have pledged to abolish the school choice program in their state. This move has sparked concerns among parents and advocates for parental rights and education freedom.

School Choice Under Attack

A recent lawsuit filed by the progressive legal organization Law Forward alleges that Wisconsin’s school choice programs violate the state constitution. The lawsuit claims that the programs do not provide sufficient resources to traditional public schools, despite the state currently funding Milwaukee Public Schools at $25,000 per student.

The fate of Wisconsin’s school choice programs hangs in the balance, with the state’s highest court potentially ruling in favor of the lawsuit. This would be a significant blow to the 60,000 students currently enrolled in the state’s choice programs.

A National Trend

Wisconsin is not the only state where school choice is under attack. Illinois ended a similar school choice program in 2023, and Arizona Democrats have attempted to limit or end choice policies in their state. These efforts have sparked concerns among advocates for education freedom and parental rights.

However, there are also success stories. Florida’s school choice programs have been shown to improve academic outcomes for students, with researcher Patrick Graff finding that the state’s choice programs have had a more significant impact on public school student achievement than increased spending.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.