Politicians everywhere are talking about universal school choice.

But what is it? Is it good for Maine? Is it good for the United States?

Universal school choice goes far beyond the concept of charter schools and/or vouchers for select students: it is publicly funded private school subsidy that goes to all students regardless of income, disability, location, or the performance of their local public schools. With universal school choice, every student receives taxpayer money to apply to any school they choose. Here are a few reasons it may not be a promising idea.

Private schools can choose their students. With universal school choice, private school enrollment is technically available to all students. However, nothing requires the schools to accept or to retain these students. Unlike public schools, private schools do not have to make accommodations for the diverse needs of students and can use any admission criteria they choose.

Publicly-funded school choice first came about after the 1954 Supreme Court decision, Brown vs. Board of Education, which declared segregated schools illegal. Then and now, there are many ways private schools exclude students. This includes physically inaccessible buildings, lack of free transportation, unreasonable parent participation requirements, and the absence of special education programming.

The latest way to exclude students is by raising tuition rates far above the public subsidy. In Iowa, a universal choice state for only one year, private school tuition grew by up to 21-25% for the 2024-25 school year. Thus, the only students who can afford to remain in private schools are those whose families can afford the extra money.

Private schools receiving taxpayer money are not accountable. Private schools do not have to meet the same state and federal criteria as public schools. In fact, there is no common definition of what a school is. These schools can discriminate based on race, religion, language, and other factors. They are not required to hire certified staff, maintain a minimum school year or school day, provide transportation or free meals, evaluate students, or accommodate students with special needs.

Homeschoolers can call themselves a school and receive public subsidy.

No one is sure of the actual cost of universal school choice. Most states are finding that the first students who take advantage of universal school choice are those already enrolled in private schools. Thus, public funding is now being used to pay for students who were not attending public schools.

In Arkansas, initially 61% of the students who applied for vouchers had never been enrolled in public schools. In Arizona, it was over 70%. These statistics indicate that universal school choice will require far more taxpayer money than is currently being directed to public education. This taxpayer money is taken away from public schools which will remain open with reduced funding, while still being required to meet all the mandates and provide the necessary accommodations the law requires.

Universal school choice will further polarize our country. The founding fathers knew that American democracy depended on educated citizens. Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and other early leaders proposed a unified system of free schooling as early as the late 1700s. Public education has been political since its founding, but most people agree that all students having access to a common education is fundamental to our democracy and our economy.

Universal school choice threatens to take us back to a time when a student’s education depended solely on what their family could afford. Moreover, taxpayers will be funding this decline, undermining the very foundation of equal opportunity that public education was designed to provide.

In closing, universal school choice is an untested idea that will further divide American students. It is an attempt to throw out public schooling as we know it, without long-term evidence of higher student achievement.

Public schools are not perfect. But, before we divert our tax money to private schools that choose their students and can operate without being held accountable, let’s consider ways to improve the education system we have now.

Susan Martin is a retired school administrator who lives in Auburn.