In only four years, Indiana’s school voucher program has become the largest in the nation, with the capability to reach 29,146 students statewide, according to a new report from the Friedman Foundation.
While the progress is impressive, it should be noted that 21,304 seats went unused during the 2013-14 school year and only 33% of Indiana private schools are enrolled in the voucher program.
While Indiana is number one in Parent Power, the high amount of unused seats speaks to the importance of program implementation so opportunities are accessible to families.
School choice should be marketed towards parents to ensure widespread availability, along with fewer regulations that could deter families from enrolling and threaten school autonomy.
CER’s School Choice Today: Voucher Laws Across the States 2014 provides an up-close analysis of voucher programs and their impact based on eligibility requirements, participation, design, and preservation of autonomy.
The rankings show out of the 14 states and the District of Columbia that have voucher programs, three earn A’s – one of which is Indiana — three earn B’s, seven earn C’s and two earn D’s.