School choice advocates are celebrating Friday, as the House of Representatives voted to extend the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. The program gives low-income students scholarships for private school tuition.
The bill passed with 224 votes in favor and 181 against. Two Democrats voted in favor, while eight Republicans voted against.
A wide coalition of school choice groups support the bill, including the American Federation for Children, the Black Alliance for Educational Options, the Center for Education Reform, the Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options and the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. “The OSP is a shining example of funding what works in education, helping children in low-income families access a quality education and moving them closer to reaching their full potential by graduating high school and going to college,” said John Schilling, the chief operating officer of the American Federation for Children. “Giving parents, especially low-income parents, access to better educational options is a matter of social justice.”
The program was a longtime favorite of former Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio. One of Boehner’s priorities in the month before his retirement was passing a different bill that extended the scholarship program through the House.
“When we give more families a choice, more students succeed,” Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., said in a press release Friday. “The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program has proven this year after year. Yet out of blind allegiance to special interests, the Obama administration has done everything short of stopping the school buses to block this program… We have the momentum to keep this program going. Let’s get this done for these kids.”
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Funding for the program is scheduled to expire on Sept. 30, the end of the government’s fiscal year. President Obama would prefer to see the program phased out in a way that lets all current participants graduate before the program is closed. Despite the opposition, he has stopped short of issuing a veto threat.
“With today’s passage of the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program, we are one step closer to continuing to give all DC students the best opportunity for success by allowing parents to choose the school that best fits their child’s needs,” said Tillie Elvrum, president of PublicSchoolOptions.org. “As parents, we know what is best for our children and we should always be trusted with these most important decisions. We are grateful to the cosponsors of this legislation and their efforts to protect school choice.”
This school year, 1,244 students are using the scholarships at 40 private schools. Participating students overwhelmingly come from low-income, minority families.
In the past, Democratic members of the Washington, D.C. government have opposed the program. Now, a majority of the city council and Mayor Muriel Bowser support the bill, because it also gives federal support to the city’s traditional public schools and public charter schools.
A Senate bill that extends the program was introduced in October 2015 by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. A committee hearing was held on the bill but no action was taken.
Jason Russell is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
