North Dakota Governor Advocates for Universal School Choice in Bold Budget Plan

December 7, 2024 TruthUSA

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum has put forward a proposal for universal school choice for families in his state during his budget address on December 4.

Burgum has received a nomination from President-elect Donald Trump to head the Department of the Interior and a newly proposed National Energy Council.

Previously, he vetoed a private school choice bill, stating it didn’t go far enough. Now, he is championing education savings accounts (ESAs) that would enable families to allocate state funds for various educational expenses, including tuition for private schools and homeschooling.

“This isn’t about the divide between public and private education,” Burgum stated in his address. “It’s about making sure every student has what they need for a successful pathway to college, career, or military readiness. We suggest creating a program that advances an ESA, continuing to elevate North Dakota’s commitment to all students—public, private, and homeschooled.”

The “educational reimbursement program” proposed last year passed both chambers of the state legislature; however, it failed to achieve the necessary two-thirds supermajority to override Burgum’s veto.

For years, North Dakota’s public education system has been without significant alternatives, such as charter schools and private school vouchers. Proponents of parental choice view Burgum’s announcement as a significant victory for families seeking educational options.

Lawmakers will need to balance the demand for parental control in education against concerns over funding and potential repercussions for public schools, indicating that a debate over this proposal is imminent.

In recent years, numerous states have adopted or expanded ESA programs, reflecting a national movement toward school choice.

Private school choice encompasses various methods to enable funding to follow the student, including vouchers, education savings accounts, and tax-credit scholarships.

These methods are designed to offer financial support to educational institutions outside the traditional public school framework. The concept of making this available to all families, regardless of income, has gained substantial momentum recently.

Currently, twelve states have formally enacted laws supporting universal school choice, while nearly thirty states provide some form of private school choice options.

In South Dakota, neighboring North Dakota, Governor Kristi Noem, who has been selected by Trump to serve as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, has proposed a school choice initiative for students, revealing an initial $4 million investment for the project during her December 3 state budget address.

“Quality education begins at home,” Noem commented. “Parents should have the means to select the educational paths that best suit their children. I am advocating for the establishment of Education Savings Accounts [ESA] for students in South Dakota in the upcoming legislative session.”

Trump has shown clear support for the initiative, and Jim Blew, a former assistant secretary in the U.S. Education Department during Trump’s first term, expressed optimism that the new Congress will pass measures such as tax credits for scholarships.

“The new members are all firmly in favor of school choice, which I believe will shift the dynamics,” said Blew, who co-founded the conservative Defense of Freedom Institute.

As per Kellyanne Conway, Trump’s campaign manager in 2016, the president-elect is committed to supporting school choice and intends to promote the issue moving forward.

However, not all states are receptive to such initiatives, as attempts to broaden state funding for private schools or to introduce certain types of school choice have been defeated by voters in Kentucky, Nebraska, and Colorado.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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