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The popularity of education vouchers is on the rise, with Republican lawmakers in 34 states proposing plans to allow families to use public education money for private school tuition, tutoring, and homeschooling. Despite warnings from education experts that vouchers threaten the viability of public schools, vouchers have gained traction during the pandemic due to dissatisfaction with public schools. The funding for the voucher movement is difficult to track due to dark money and donor-advised funds, but support for vouchers tends to come from conservative-leaning philanthropy platforms, foundations, and mega donors. The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, DonorsTrust, the American Federation for Children, and the Independent Women’s Forum are among the organizations supporting voucher programs through their grants. Conservative religious funders and smaller, lesser-known conservative funders, such as the Kovner Foundation, are also backing vouchers. Vouchers are part of a long-running effort by conservatives and, at times, Democrats to reshape the public school system around parental choice, competition, and privatization.
