Understanding How School Vouchers Are Funded: Summary of Funding for the District of Columbia's Opportunity Scholarship Program. Informing Policy &amp; Improving Practice Research Brief
Author: Moon, Jodi S.
Date: 2016-10-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Educational Vouchers,School Choice,Financial Support,Enrollment,Funding Formulas,State Aid,Elementary Secondary Education,Budgets,Costs,Accountability,Educational Finance

This profile provides detailed local context for the District of Columbia as part of &quot;Follow the Money: A Detailed Analysis of the Funding Mechanisms of Voucher Programs in Six Cases&quot; (Arizona, the District of Columbia, Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin). This three-part report includes a cross-case review, data visualizations of enrollment and funding patterns, and detailed profiles of each individual case, including the following profile. The purposes of this report are to provide details on how voucher funding designs interact with funding formulas and to increase transparency around voucher design for taxpayers and policymakers. The financial impact and transparency of voucher funding are primary concerns due to the public governance and financing of U.S. public education systems. A federal, state, or local government's decision to use tax revenues to help families pay for private schooling is often politically contentious and has been the topic of litigation in state and federal courts. Understanding the potential impact that specific provisions may have on state and local revenues is necessary to inform policymakers about whether a voucher program design meets constituents' expectations regarding public governance, funding, and educational services. An understanding of these details is equally necessary for taxpayers and voters so that they may make informed decisions. The data and analyses included in these profiles call into question the rhetoric used by both supporters and detractors of voucher programs--for example, in terms of whether local districts retain any of voucher students' per-pupil allotment from the state, or whether any local funds are used for voucher awards. [For the main report, &quot;Follow the Money: A Comprehensive Review of the Funding Mechanisms of Voucher Programs in Six Cases. Informing Policy &amp; Improving Practice Research Brief,&quot; see ED574830. For the related reports, &quot;Understanding How School Vouchers Are Funded: Summary of Funding for the Indiana Choice Scholarship Program. Informing Policy &amp; Improving Practice Research Brief,&quot; see ED574824; &quot;Understanding How School Vouchers Are Funded: Summary of Funding for Wisconsin's Three Parental Choice Programs. Informing Policy &amp; Improving Practice Research Brief,&quot; see ED574825; &quot;Understanding How School Vouchers Are Funded: Summary of Funding for Ohio's Cleveland Scholarship and EdChoice Programs. Informing Policy &amp; Improving Practice Research Brief,&quot; see ED574826; &quot;Understanding How School Vouchers Are Funded: Summary of Funding for Arizona's Empowerment Scholarship Accounts. Informing Policy &amp; Improving Practice Research Brief,&quot; see ED574827; and &quot;Understanding How School Vouchers Are Funded: Summary of Funding for the Louisiana Scholarship Program. Informing Policy &amp; Improving Practice Research Brief,&quot; see ED574828.]