Jeb Bush served as governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007 and is chairman of the board of directors of ExcelinEd, a nonprofit that supports state leaders with policy solutions for improving education.
All families deserve access to schools and learning environments that work best for their kids. Everyone benefits when that’s the North Star policymakers follow.
This year in South Carolina, lawmakers are working together to improve the lives of students across the state with a school choice program called the Education Scholarship Trust Fund program. The program is an education scholarship account, or ESA, that would provide families with flexible spending accounts for education — funded by a state trust fund and controlled by parents.
With an ESA, parents can customize and direct funds to a combination of approved uses, such as tutoring, therapy for students with disabilities, online programs, private school tuition, exam fees and sometimes savings for future education expenses. Across the country, 17 states have already adopted ESA programs that, together, are supporting more than 300,000 students with a customized education.
South Carolinians might be thinking this sounds really familiar. That’s because policymakers adopted and began operating a similar measure last year. Despite overwhelming support from voters and the legislature, the measure was challenged and unfairly struck down by the South Carolina Supreme Court after it was already being used by families across the state.
In an instant, thousands of students who could finally afford the education of their dreams had their funding ripped away. Thankfully, philanthropic supporters are generously funding those scholarships with private donations so families are not being turned away from schools they could not otherwise afford.
Lawmakers currently are debating how best to ensure the program has the resources it needs. I am hopeful that the General Assembly will reach a consensus to restore the program and expand it to serve the greatest number of students.
Funding mechanisms and eligibility aside, we know school choice is popular with those who need it most: families.
Across the country, more than 300,000 students opted for an ESA during the 2023-2024 school year due to the policy's success. An EdChoice poll from last year shows 75% of American parents support ESAs. In South Carolina, for the record, that number is also 75%. Parents clearly want options for their kids.
When I took over as Florida’s governor in 1999 the state was in the bottom on most educational outcome measures. Only one-third of third graders could read on grade level, and close to half of all fourth graders were below grade level standards. This in turn led to increased school dropout rates.
After years of targeted education reform — through strengthening the school accountability system and building the state’s school choice programs from the ground up — Florida began to see rising student achievement, including a significantly higher graduation rate. A 2024 report gave Florida an “A” for achievement and return on investment, calling it the “single best state in which to be a low-income public school student.”
Both in Florida and beyond, we know that school choice programs have positive effects not just on those who participate, but also on test scores for public school students and in a number of other outcomes such as parental satisfaction and funding benefits.
South Carolina’s leaders listened to families and responded last year with a school choice program designed to help students who most need access to schools that work for them. The court struck it down, but policymakers didn’t give up. This year’s program will be stronger because it addresses the court’s concerns and provides even more opportunity for families.
It's exciting to watch the school choice wave that’s swept our country these past few years, empowering parents and breaking down barriers for students. I know firsthand how choice can change lives, and I’m hopeful South Carolina’s progress will continue this year.
