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 expansion of school choice, including a $1 billion school voucher-style program set to launch this fall, has added to the pressure to fill empty seats. —Jessica Ma, Dallas Morning News, 27 Mar. 2026

The education bureaucracy is a core constituency of the Democratic Party, and that constituency wants nothing to do with school choice. —Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 26 Mar. 2026

For legislators facing tight budgets and pressure to raise student achievement, this evidence should be a compelling motivation to expand school choice for the sake of students across all education environments. —Tommy Schultz, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2026

There is no question that the Comptroller's Office is statutorily charged with ensuring that our school choice program is protected from abuse by terrorists or the Chinese Communist Party. —S.e. Jenkins, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1988, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for school choice

• rejoice
• voice