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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
When the Florida Legislature introduced school choice in 2023, it was sold as empowering parents to choose what was best for their child’s education. Sierra Bush Rester, Orlando Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2025 Voters rejected efforts in Kentucky, Colorado and Nebraska to strengthen school choice and voucher programs, in which state funds help foot the bill for parents who choose to forgo their local public schools. Graham Kates, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2025 President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order aimed at expanding school choice. Maddy Wheelock, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025 Earlier Friday, Trump was scheduled to hold a school choice roundtable at the White House and is expected to issue more executive orders later in the day. The Hill Staff, The Hill, 31 Jan. 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

Dictionary Entries Near school choice

Cite this Entry

“School choice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/school%20choice. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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