Does school choice drain resources from public schools?
A. Absolutely Not! School choice programs do not drain money from public schools. Actually, they leave more money behind to educate fewer students. No state or city with school choice has seen its public school budgets go down. The claim that choice drains money may sound plausible; schools are funded on a per-student basis, so fewer students means less money. But, a growing body of research finds exactly the opposite: school choice programs actually improve public school financing. School choice gives the public school system more money to educate each student. According to Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation, across the nation: • The average amount public schools spend per student = $10,000 • The average amount private schools spend per student = $5,000 *This is the fundamental reason school choice saves money- private schools do a better job at about half the cost. According to Milton and Rose D.
