The big surprise in the federal school voucher program | Mary Ellen Klas Oct 21, 2026 Oct 21, 2026 0 Prefer us on Google Learn More Facebook Twitter Bluesky WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Mary Ellen Klas kAm(96E96C @? AFCA@D6 @C 3J 244:56?E[ E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@?’D ?6H G@F496C AC@8C2> 4@F=5 5@ D@>6E9:?8 :E ?6G6C AC@>:D65 E@ 5@i 96=A AF3=:4 D49@@=D]k^AmkAmxE’D 2 3:E @7 2 DFCAC:D6 7C@> E96 (9:E6 w@FD6 E92E AC@>:D65 E@ 23@=:D9 E96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 t5F42E:@? 2?5 E96? 5:D>2?E=65 =2C86 A2CED @7 :E] qFE F?56C CF=6D C6=62D65 E9:D >@?E9 3J E96 &]$] %C62DFCJ s6A2CE>6?E[ E96 AC@8C2> 2FE9@C:K:?8 E96 7:CDE u656C2= $49@=2CD9:A %2I rC65:E 2==@HD <:5D E@ C646:G6 2 G@F496C 6G6? :7 E96J DE2J :? E96:C AF3=:4 D49@@=]k^AmkAm%92E’D 2? :>A@CE2?E 5:DE:?4E:@? 7C@> DE2E6\=6G6= AC@8C2>D] p5G@42E6D AC2:D6 G@F496C AC@8C2>D 2D E96 6A:E@>6 @7 “65F42E:@? 7C665@>” 3642FD6[ E96J D2J[ :E 6>A@H6CD A2C6?ED E@ 49@@D6 E96 36DE 65F42E:@? 7@C E96:C 49:=5C6?] qFE E96 H2J G@F496CD 92G6 366? :>A=6>6?E65 2E E96 DE2E6 =6G6= 5C2:?D C6D@FC46D 7C@> AF3=:4 D49@@=D 2?5 AC:>2C:=J DF3D:5:K6D 49@:46D E92E 72>:=:6D 92G6 2=C625J >256 E@ D6?5 E96:C <:5D E@ AC:G2E6 D49@@=D]k^Am People are also reading… Notre Dame, UCLA on upset alert in college football bold predictions for Week 7 NFL Week 6 winners and losers led by 3 hot-seat coaches at breaking point Head Start English-only proposal worries bilingual educators Trump reinvokes antisemitic slur at Kansas rally After Iowan’s death, assisted living company fires regional administrator Majority of Americans doubt $5K Trump dividend proposal NFL power rankings Week 7: Bills won again but was it enough to impress? 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E96 7@C> @7 G@F496CD E@ D49@@=D E@ FD6 @? 6=:8:3=6 DEF56?ED WE9@D6 >2<:?8 b__T @C =6DD @7 2 C68:@?’D >65:2? :?4@>6X]k^Am kAm%96 >@?6J 42? 36 FD65 E@ A2J 7@C AC:G2E6 D49@@= EF:E:@? 2?5 2 9@DE @7 C6=2E65 AC@8C2>D] qFE AF3=:4 D49@@=D 42? 2=D@ FD6 E96 7F?5D 7@C 6=:8:3=6 DEF56?ED[ @? E9:?8D =:<6 EFE@C:?8[ 27E6C\D49@@= AC@8C2>D[ EC2?DA@CE2E:@? 2?5 DA64:2= 65F42E:@? D6CG:46D]k^Am k2D:56 4=2DDlQE?4>D\:?=:?6\C6=4@?E6?EQmk^2D:56mkAm%96 7656C2= CF=6D H@? @G6C D@>6 DFCAC:D:?8 4C:E:4D[ DF49 2D y@D9 r@H6?[ 2 |:49:82? $E2E6 &?:G6CD:EJ 65F42E:@? AC@76DD@C H9@ DA6?E EH@ 564256D C6D62C49:?8 G@F496C AC@8C2>D] w6 2C8F6D E92E DE2E6 G@F496C AC@8C2>D 2C6 2 52?86C E@ p>6C:42? 65F42E:@? 3642FD6 E96J “D6G6C6=J 9:?56C 24256>:4 8C@HE9 — 6DA64:2==J 7@C GF=?6C23=6 <:5D” 2?5 D:A9@? C6D@FC46D 7C@> AF3=:4 D49@@=D E@ AC:G2E6 @?6D]k^AmkAmqFE r@H6? D2:5[ 3642FD6 E96 ?6H A=2? 5@6D?’E 5@ E92E[ “x ;FDE 42?’E :? 8@@5 72:E9 D2J E9:D :D 8@:?8 E@ 567F?5 AF3=:4 D49@@=D E96 H2J DE2E6 A=2?D 5@]”k^Am kAm%92E 4@F=5 6IA=2:? H9J b` DE2E6D — 4@G6C:?8 dhT @7 E96 ?2E:@?’D AF3=:4 D49@@= A@AF=2E:@? — 92G6 564:565 E@ 2446AE E96 7656C2= G@F496CD[ :?4=F5:?8 s6>@4C2E\=65 DE2E6D }6H *@C< 2?5 r@=@C25@]k^Am kAm%96 C6>2:?:?8 `h 9@=5@FED 2C6 2== =65 3J s6>@4C2ED 2?5[ 7@C E96>[ :E’D 2 E@F89 42==] |@DE @7 E9@D6 8@G6C?@CD @AA@D6 G@F496C AC@8C2>D 2?5 5@?’E H2?E E@ D66 E96 7656C2= AC@8C2> DF44665[ 3FE :7 E96J EFC? 5@H? E96 7656C2= >@?6J 7@C AC:G2E6 D49@@=D[ E96J 2=D@ =@D6 E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ 36EE6C 7F?5 E96:C AF3=:4 D49@@=D]k^Am kAmp?5 E96 AC@8C2> 5@6D 92G6 D@>6 >2;@C 7=2HD] %96 7656C2= G@F496CD H:== DF3D:5:K6 AC:G2E6 D49@@= EF:E:@? 2?5 DE66C E2IA2J6C >@?6J E@ C6=:8:@FD D49@@=D H9:=6 D6EE:?8 ?@ DE2?52C5D 7@C 24256>:4 A6C7@C>2?46 @C EC62E:?8 2== <:5D 72:C=J]k^Am Kindergarten students participate in a lesson at Lighthouse Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, which accepts vouchers. JOHN HART, WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL kAm%96 3:886DE 36?67:4:2C:6D 2C6 =:<6=J E@ 36 72>:=:6D E92E 92G6 2=C625J 49@D6? 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D66? :? >2?J DE2E6 G@F496C AC@8C2>D] “$E2E6 =6256CD 92G6 G:CEF2==J ?@ 4@?EC@= @G6C E9:D AC@8C2> 27E6C 564:5:?8 H96E96C E96J H:== A2CE:4:A2E6[” '2=2?E ?@E6D] u@C 6I2>A=6[ DE2E6D 42?’E AC6G6?E E96 D49@=2CD9:A\8C2?E:?8 @C82?:K2E:@?D 7C@> 5:D4C:>:?2E:?8 282:?DE 46CE2:? 4=2DD6D @7 DEF56?ED — E9@D6 H:E9 {vq%" A2C6?ED[ E9@D6 H9@ AC24E:46 46CE2:? C6=:8:@?D @C E9@D6 H:E9 5:D23:=:E:6D]k^DA2?mk^Am kAmr@?8C6DD 5:5 ?@E 2==@42E6 2 DA64:7:4 2AAC@AC:2E:@? E@ A2J 7@C E96 AC@8C2>[ H9:49 H2D EF4<65 :? E@ E96 D@\42==65 q:8 q62FE:7F= q:== =2DE J62C] %96 5C@A :? E2I C6G6?F6 H:== 6IA2?5 E96 567:4:E 2?5 4@DE E2IA2J6CD Sad]h 3:==:@? @G6C `_ J62CD[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 y@:?E r@>>:EE66 @? %2I2E:@?] p?5 H9:=6 E96C6 2C6 C6A@CE:?8 C6BF:C6>6?ED 2?5 BF2=:7:42E:@? 4964<D[ ?@ 8F2C5C2:=D >2<6 DFC6 E96 >@?6J :D FD65 H:D6=J]k^Am kAmr@?8C6DD D9@F=5 6:E96C C6>65J E96D6 AC@3=6>D @C C6A=246 E96 6?E:C6 AC@8C2> H:E9 D@>6E9:?8 36EE6C] u@C DE2CE6CD[ E96J 4@F=5 C6BF:C6 DEF56?ED E92E 2446AE 7656C2= G@F496CD :? 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DE2E6D =:<6 u=@C:52 2?5 pC:K@?2] p?5 E96J 4@F=5 8:G6 DE2E6D E96 23:=:EJ E@ 6?DFC6 E92E E96 7F?5D 8@ E@ DEF56?ED H9@ ?665 E96> >@DE 2?5 AC6G6?E E96> 7C@> 5:D4C:>:?2E:?8 282:?DE 2?J DEF56?E]k^Am kAm}@E9:?8 :D HC@?8 H:E9 D6?5:?8 >@C6 >@?6J E@ DE2E6D 7@C 65F42E:@?[ 3FE :E D9@F=5 4@>6 H:E9 2DDFC2?46D E92E E2IA2J6C >@?6J H:== 36 FD65 E@ 36?67:E 2== DEF56?ED[ ?@E E96 6=:E6 76H]k^Am Klas is a Bloomberg columnist and former capital bureau chief for the Miami Herald. 0 Comments Related to this story Most Popular Can we defend America’s ideals while confronting its failures? | The Ethical Life podcast 🎧 From land acknowledgments to neighborhood disagreements, the hosts examine how freedom, fairness and human dignity become meaningful throug… Democrats need an agenda, not theatrics | Bloomberg News With a month to go until midterm elections, Democrats find themselves in better shape than expected. 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