Parents have the right and responsibility to direct the upbringing of their children. At Family Voice, we believe that includes parents choosing where their children attend school, regardless of what school district they live in. One of the most straightforward routes to implementing school choice is through the creation of Educational Savings Accounts (ESA), which are accounts the state deposits money into for families to spend on a variety of educational expenses, such as tuition, tutoring, textbooks, uniforms, and more, depending on the specifics of the program. This allows parents to build an education plan that best suits their child’s individual needs, which will ultimately produce better results for South Dakota’s educational system as a whole.
Eighteen states already have ESA provisions on the books. Four states have education choice tax credits, and seven states, including South Dakota, have limited education tax scholarships. Only 12 states have passed universal school choice so far, but that number grows dramatically every year as the school choice movement gains momentum. We feel confident that South Dakota will make progress on school choice in 2025.
Last month, Governor Kristi Noem announced her support for a $4 million ESA program in South Dakota targeting low-income families. “Good education starts in the home,” Noem said. “And parents should have the tools to choose what educational path is best for their kids.”
In October, Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters spoke at Family Voice’s Stand Dinner to discuss Oklahoma’s approach to education and how South Dakota could forge a similar path. He described Oklahmona’s success in passing universal school choice and the incredible results they’ve already seen from allowing parents to direct their children’s education – whether that be through public, private, charter, or home schooling.
“It makes the Left angry to put parents in charge because they control so many of the systems,” Walters noted in his speech. “When you put parents in charge through school choice, that power is taken from [the Left] and it’s put right where it should belong – with parents.”
Giving parents the power to choose where their children go to school gives South Dakota an “insurance policy” of sorts against the type of far-left ideologies that we see from the schools on the coasts.
More than just an insurance policy against the bad, school choice is a motivator for good. The primary benefit of school choice is that every child benefits. When healthy competition is introduced and parents have real options, improvement will result. This was clearly seen in Oklahoma as record numbers of schools came off of the “failing list” due to improvements made after the implementation of school choice.
As the details of proposed school choice policies continue to develop before the legislative session kicks off mid-January, many legislators remain hopeful this will be the year progress is made on this issue in South Dakota. Even if the legislature isn’t able to pass a full-scale school choice program this year, we shouldn’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. We’re excited to see what we can accomplish with your support in 2025!
