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

The first thought that struck me was that the argument for greater competition between airlines is the exact rationale for school choice. —Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 18 Feb. 2026

Empower parents & fund schools – Pass True School Freedom Act for universal school choice (dollars follow child), billions in new revenue for education. —Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026

Against the backdrop of national debates over school choice and vouchers, homeschooling has burst from the ideological fringe to the center of Chicago’s education landscape. —Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026

That’s why school choice is the best answer to our education crisis. —Chris Talgo, Washington Post, 5 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1988, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for school choice

• rejoice
• voice