Betsy DeVos Seeks Private School Vouchers for Military Families

But the military community is largely opposed to the proposal.

By Lauren Camera, Education Reporter?April 18, 2018, at 3:01 p.m.
U.S. News & World Report

FEDERAL EDUCATION officials are exploring a new benefit that would give military families additional resources for their children's schooling – despite the fact that the proposal faces significant opposition from within the military community itself, where it is largely seen as costly and ineffective.

Discussions about the proposal are taking place at the highest levels of government, with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos slated to meet Thursday with the Department of Defense, U.S. News has learned. DeVos plans to ask for Secretary James Mattis' support for a plan that would create education savings accounts for military families that would cover various education expenses – including private school tuition and tutoring.

But Mattis' support is not a sure bet, largely because the proposal would be paid for in part by co-opting funding from the $1.3 billion federal Impact Aid program, which provides funding for schools and education programs located on military bases, Native American reservations and other federal lands that have been exempted from local tax rolls.

DeVos, long a supporter of private school choice, made her first public pitch for the idea during an appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February, where she said there was support among military families for the proposal.

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