Leading school choice org aims to triple truly universal programs by 2030

EdChoice, a leading school choice advocate, aims to triple the number of universal school choice states by 2030 and boost usage in key states by 30%, its president and CEO said.

In an interview with Philanthropy Roundtable, Robert Enlow said his organization’s priority is to increase the number of truly universal states from four to 12 while expanding awareness and participation in existing programs.

“EdChoice’s new strategic plan is ambitious,” he told the publication. “We will focus on policies and research that advance these goals, as well as advertising to ensure parents are aware of and accessing their educational options. Our goal is to create the truly free educational marketplace envisioned by Milton and Rose Friedman.”

Milton Friedman pioneered the modern school choice movement in the 1950s, envisioning “a system where every family could choose the education that best fits their child, with public funding following students to the learning environment that works for them,” Enlow said.

The Friedmans founded EdChoice 30 years ago, and the Indianapolis-based group has advocated for school choice ever since.

Wins have accelerated in recent years, with multiple states adding or expanding programs over the past decade. School choice now exists in more than 30 states and serves more than 1.5 million students. EdChoice is now focused on universality – ensuring scholarships are both available and fully funded for every eligible student.

“In recent years, 19 states have created programs with universal eligibility, meaning every child can technically apply,” Enlow said. “That is an important milestone. But universal eligibility means little if the funding behind those programs is capped or insufficient to meet demand.”

Texas offers a recent example. The state allocated $1 billion for its new Education Freedom Accounts, enough to fund about 100,000 scholarships. The program was quickly overwhelmed with 274,000 applications.

“We have already seen this play out in several states where newly created programs quickly generated long wait lists of families eager to participate,” Enlow said. “The demand is clearly there, but too often the funding is not.”

Another challenge is ensuring enough school capacity to meet demand. A new organization, Schools for America, has launched to address regulatory barriers such as zoning laws that can prevent small schools from opening.

Jane McEnaney, the group’s executive director, told The Lion she wants to prevent school choice opponents from pointing to unused scholarships caused by a lack of available seats.

“I think the biggest issue the next few years is going to be solving and/or preventing a supply-demand mismatch,” she said.

“If we don’t right-size the regulations that are preventing people from opening schools quickly that are accessible and affordable, with or without an education scholarship through an ESA or tax credit scholarship, it’s going to be the first thing that our opponents use against us.”

Enlow said EdChoice is also focused on raising awareness and defending school choice through its legal arm, EdChoice Legal Advocates, which has been active in cases across multiple states. School choice programs have a high win rate in court.

“Over the past few years, more states have created or expanded private school choice programs, giving millions of families access to new educational options,” Enlow said. “But these programs are useless if families don’t know about them. That’s why EdChoice has launched targeted campaigns in several states to raise awareness and teach parents how to participate.”

He added that “passing policy is only the beginning.”

“Sustained funding and strong legal protections are essential to ensure these programs endure and effectively serve families. EdChoice brings the resources and expertise needed to help safeguard these policies and make them accessible and impactful for families nationwide.”