BALTIMORE — Democratic Gov. Wes Moore isn’t yet taking a stance on whether Maryland should opt into a new school choice program implemented at the federal level, as advocates and opponents rally over the issue.

“The Governor is committed to ensuring that every student in Maryland has the best education possible,” Moore’s spokesperson Carter Elliott said in a statement. “The Trump Administration’s approach on this issue has never been tried before. We are evaluating all of the options to ensure Maryland students have the best opportunities to succeed.”

The federal school choice plan was passed as part of President Donald Trump’s expansive tax bill earlier this month. If Maryland opts in, taxpayers could choose to donate up to $1,700 toward private education grants in the state and receive the same amount back as a tax credit.

A spokeswoman for Maryland Congressman Andy Harris, a Republican, wrote in an email that he strongly supports federal school choice and that “[e]very child — regardless of zip code, income, or background — deserves access to a quality education that fits their needs, not a one-size-fits-all system.”

Maryland’s U.S. Sens. Angela Alsobrooks and Chris Van Hollen, both Democrats, also didn’t say whether they would support Maryland opting in.

“I am committed to making sure all of Maryland’s students get the education they deserve,” Alsobrooks said in an emailed statement on Monday. “Meanwhile, this Administration is taking the opposite approach — working to dismantle the Department of Education and undermine the promise of an education for all Marylanders, by further eroding the resources districts, teachers, and students desperately need to succeed.”

Van Hollen said in an emailed statement, “Instead of working to achieve the goal of ensuring that every child receives a quality education, Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are attacking public schools and the federal resources they depend on to support students while pumping more dollars into private education.”

School choice advocates argue that opting in would be a win for Maryland families who are dissatisfied with public school options, while opponents contend that the program would remove students from public schools, depriving them of funding and resources.

School choice is complicated to implement and it’s been a “sticky issue” in the past, said Roger Hartley, dean of the College of Public Affairs at the University of Baltimore. He added that with another election season on the horizon, politicians may avoid taking sides on the issue without first “having done their homework.”

Maryland has a small private school voucher program at the state level — Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today (BOOST). It provides around $9 million in the form of vouchers to help families send their kids to private and religious schools. Moore has proposed cuts to the program in the past, which began under his Republican predecessor, Larry Hogan, though BOOST has continued so far during Moore’s administration.

Funding debate

Advocates for the new federal program note that it would be funded at no cost to Maryland.

“It doesn’t cost the state a dime,” said Jeff Trimbath, president of the Maryland Family Institute, noting that the state faced significant deficits that it had to adjust for during the past legislative session.

But Liz Zogby, co-chair of the Maryland Down Syndrome Advocacy Coalition, noted that even though the program doesn’t cost state dollars, it will take money out of public schools if they lose enrollees. This can be especially harmful for students with disabilities, who need public school resources and may not be able to attend a private school, she said.

“Let’s say you have a student who is not being well-served in a private school, not making progress, acting out, having challenging behaviors because they’re not being well-supported — that school can just expel them,” Zogby said.

But in public schools, she said, an Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting would be convened to figure out how to help the child. “So they don’t just kick kids out,” she said.

Whom does school choice benefit?

There’s also a debate over which students would benefit from the program.

Kalman Hettleman, a former member of the Baltimore City school board and the Maryland Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education, said school choice funds “go mainly to people of means,” since scholarships may not cover the full cost of a student’s private school tuition.

“In many cases, the education savings accounts and vouchers will be able to go to people who have already left the public schools [and] are paying the whole private schools’ bill already,” Hettleman said.

Trimbath noted most schools offer other scholarships that could supplement a school choice scholarship, and that most schools “means-test” their support, offering more money to lower-income students.

Garrett O’Day, deputy director of the Maryland Catholic Conference, urged Moore and state education leaders to opt into the program and said that even if Maryland doesn’t participate, Maryland taxpayers can still choose to donate to scholarship organizations in other states.

“In other words, if the state doesn’t opt in, Maryland dollars will go out of state to the detriment of Maryland kids who need it, taking away money available for education for both public and private school students,” he wrote in an email.

‘Unpredictable federal funding cuts’

Paul Lemle, president of the Maryland State Education Association, advocated against the opt-in for Maryland.

“We strongly oppose giving away public funds to private schools as Maryland public schools — which serve 90% of Maryland students — continue to face chaotic, drastic, and unpredictable federal funding cuts to schools that will hurt students and the supports they depend on,” he said in a statement.

Harris’ spokeswoman wrote in his statement that school choice is “not about taking money away — it’s about giving parents control.”

“The federal plan is designed to empower families, not bureaucracies,” she said in an email to The Sun. “When parents can choose the best education for their child, all schools — public and private — must compete to improve. That’s a win for every student, including those with disabilities, who will benefit from increased options tailored to their needs.”

A spokesperson for the Maryland State Department of Education did not respond to a request for comment.

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