NEW POLICY BRIEF CO-AUTHORED BY PFPS AND ADVANCEMENT PROJECT LINKS PRIVATE EDUCATION VOUCHERS TO PUBLIC SCHOOL CLOSURES

April 10, 2025

Washington, DC – A new policy brief, Save Neighborhood Schools – Say No to Private School Vouchers!, co-authored by Public Funds Public Schools and Advancement Project, explains how private education vouchers contribute to the closure of neighborhood public schools – eliminating a vital community resource that welcomes and serves all children.

The policy brief aggregates research and information on the connection between vouchers and school closures. Vouchers divert limited public dollars from public schools and contribute to declines in enrollment, which impacts state and federal funding for public schools. This underfunding can force schools to close, which is particularly harmful for low-income communities, communities of color, and rural communities. The policy brief features case studies of states with voucher programs that have contributed to public school closures, to the detriment of students, families and communities.

“Well-resourced neighborhood public schools create vibrant communities. But too often, lawmakers divert limited taxpayer dollars away from local public schools and into unaccountable private school voucher schemes – leading to public school closures. As a result, students experience devastating academic, attendance, behavioral, and economic consequences; families lose access to critical services; and entire neighborhoods and communities are left behind,” said Adaku Onyeka-Crawford from Advancement Project.

“Communities have long been demanding greater investments in their local public schools,” said Nicole Ciullo from Education Law Center, which directs the PFPS campaign. “Policymakers must prioritize funding the public school system and stop siphoning taxpayer dollars from the schools that serve the vast majority of students and are central to their communities.”

Advocates are urged to download and use the policy brief and the state case studies to inform policymakers about the harms of private education vouchers, the link between vouchers and school closures, and the importance of neighborhood public schools for children, families and communities.

# # #

Advancement Project is a next-generation, multi-racial civil rights organization. Rooted in the great human rights struggles for equality and justice, we exist to fulfill America’s promise of a caring, inclusive and just democracy. We use innovative tools and strategies to strengthen social movements and achieve high impact policy change. We are a co-convener of the National Campaign for Police Free schools, a formation of 20+ youth-led grassroots organizations fighting to end the criminalization of youth in the classroom, create liberatory educational spaces, and implement an affirmative vision of safety and transformative justice. Visit www.advancementproject.org to learn more.