school choice

noun

US : a program or policy in which students are given the choice to use public funds to attend a school other than their district's public school (as at a charter school, private school, home school, or at a public school in a different district)

Voucher plans were adopted largely as a last resort, an effort to guarantee a semblance of school choice for low-income minority students in failing inner-city schools.

—Jeffrey Rosen

To be sure, even their most enthusiastic defenders acknowledge that many public schools, especially in big cities are riven with serious problems. The debate over "school choice" and tax vouchers for private schools illustrates the widespread discontent with public schools.

—Dirk Johnson

Examples of school choice in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Maria had previously used Illinois' school choice law to send her eldest daughter to a local private school. —Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025

Education Kwong: Much of what the Trump administration and Education Secretary Linda McMahon are trying to do here is expand school choice. —Tinbete Ermyas, NPR, 28 Mar. 2025

The layoffs will effectively cut the agency in half in an effort to meet President Donald Trump and Secretary of Education Linda McMahon’s goal of making the department more efficient and reducing the federal government’s involvement in education matters like curriculum and school choice. —Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 13 Mar. 2025

The other reason was to ensure the long-term viability of school choice in South Carolina. —Patrick Gleason, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1988, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for school choice

• rejoice
• voice