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
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Private school scholarships not ‘for disadvantaged families’ Republican leaders have consistently pitched a statewide school choice program as an opportunity to empower families without financial means to get their children out of failing schools. Vivian Jones, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025 At least 17 states have already adopted various universal school choice laws, meaning families who send their children to private religious schools are eligible for such programs. Charles J. Russo, The Conversation, 23 May 2025 The Hill: Opponents of school choice are raising concerns as House Republicans attempt to push legislation through their budget bill to create scholarships parents can use to send their students to private schools, available in all 50 states. Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 16 May 2025 Florida private school vouchers see rapid growth The Texas plan immediately joins Florida’s as one of the nation’s biggest school choice programs. Silas Allen, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for school choice

Word History

First Known Use

1988, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of school choice was in 1988

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Cite this Entry

“School choice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/school%20choice. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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