States Race Ahead on School Choice as Supreme Court Weighs Religious Charter School Case

The U.S. Supreme Court is about to hear arguments that could make serious waves in the ongoing school choice debate—specifically, whether the country gets its very first publicly-funded religious charter school. While the justices gear up, states across the map have been moving full speed ahead with their own school choice policies, offering parents more say (and sometimes, more cash) in their kids' education than ever before.

Nearly every state now has some form of school choice, but only a select few have gone all-in with programs that open the doors to every K-12 student, regardless of income or disability status. Here’s a look at who’s leading the pack and what their programs look like:

• Alabama: The CHOOSE Act (2024) launches education savings accounts (ESAs) for all families soon—think of it as a school shopping spree, but for tuition and more.
• Arizona: The OG of universal school choice, Arizona's $800 million program gives parents $7,000 per child to spend on tuition and other valid educational expenses. Started in 2022, this set the bar for the rest.
• Arkansas: S.B. 294 now lets all students access choice programs, no matter their income or disability.
• Florida: H.B. 1 (2023) opens choice programs for everyone, letting families use state money for tuition, tutoring, online courses, and more.
• Idaho: The state’s new tax credit system offers up to $5,000 per child (and up to $7,500 for students with disabilities) for private educational expenses, with a total cap of $50 million annually, prioritized for low-to-middle income families.
• Iowa: H.F. 68 (2023) brings universal choice, with similar flexible accounts for tuition and other educational needs.
• Indiana: Choice Scholarships (vouchers) go to qualifying K-12 students to help cover private school tuition, with the main qualifier being household income under 400% of the federal free and reduced lunch threshold.
• Montana: The state features a standard ESA for students with disabilities, but also a broader tax credit scholarship program, letting donors get a 100% tax credit and providing an average $2,190 scholarship to students.
• North Carolina: A major voucher program is available to all, though budget limits apply. The average voucher is $5,701, and eligibility is income-based.
• Ohio: Qualifying students get $6,166 (K-8) or $8,408 (9-12) toward private school, as long as parents provide income info and meet other state requirements.
• Oklahoma: The Parental Choice Tax Credit offers $5,000 to $7,500 per child for private schooling, or $1,000 for homeschoolers, to help cover a range of educational expenses.
• Tennessee: The Education Freedom Act of 2025 rolls out a universal ESA—$7,000 per student, starting with 20,000 scholarships and expanding if demand is high, with a focus on lower-income families and those with disabilities.
• Utah: H.B. 215 (2023) opens ESA-style accounts for all students, covering everything from tuition to instructional materials.
• West Virginia: With an ESA averaging $4,299 for private school tuition and open enrollment for public schools, the state offers one of the broadest school choice menus.
• Wyoming: Starting in 2025-26, the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship removes income restrictions and grants $7,000 per student, with a $30 million budget and a requirement that participating students are academically assessed.

With so much momentum, the Supreme Court’s upcoming decision could either turbocharge this movement or throw a wrench in the gears, especially when it comes to blending public dollars and religious schools. The country’s school choice experiment is definitely picking up speed, and it looks like the finish line just keeps moving further out.