Why School Choice

is Good for Utah

Children are unique, and when it comes to educating them, every parent wants the same thing—the best education possible. But, the “same thing” is different for every child. Parents understand their children’s individual needs better than anyone else and are best able to decide what works for them. School choice provides parents with the needed opportunity to choose the school that best meets their child’s educational needs.

In other words, school choice is parental choice, and real choice improves all schools. When parents choose the school, performance improves. Unfortunately, not all parents can afford to be in areas that offer the best education. Their children attend the school in the neighborhood they can afford to live in.

Recognizing this disparity and the power of school choice to improve education for all children, states across the country are providing parents with a variety of school choice options, like vouchers, scholarships, tuition tax credits, open enrollment, and charter schools. With this full complement of school choice, all parents can choose the school that best meets their children's needs, regardless of where they live.

     School choice is parental choice, and it’s good

     for Utah.  Here's why:

Better Education for ALL Students

The academic effects of school choice have been extensively researched, and the findings are clearly positive.

1. Students who exercise choice perform better.

2. Schools that face competition perform better.

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Increased Parental Involvement

and Satisfaction
Part of increased achievement comes as schools improve, and part of it comes as parents, with greater ability to impact their child’s education, become more involved. 

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Better Public/Fiscal Policy
It’s Good for the Taxpayer and Public Schools
A growing body of research finds that school choice programs save money, leaving public schools with more money to educate each student. With the highest student to adult ratio in this country, this is welcomed news in the Beehive State.

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School Choice is Consistent with

Utah Values
Utahns believe in family, personal responsibility, and accountability.  School choice makes schools directly answerable to parents, not adminstrators, bureaucrats, unions, or legislators.

It is Constitutional
School choice, whether in the form of vouchers or tuition-tax credits, is in harmony with both the Utah and U.S. Constitution. In 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court concluded that using vouchers to attend religious schools does not violate the separation of church and state.  Furthermore, the Utah Constitution clearly states that the public education system includes any "schools and programs as the Legislature may designate."

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Utah Parents Want School Choice
The explosive growth of charter schools is further proof that parents want more school choice.  In fact, surveys show that the more people understand school choice, the more they support it.