ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the two major state programs that provide public funds to send students to private schools in the United States: open enrollment and charter schools. It briefly discusses some of the programmatic options. Discussion of political constraints is set within the overwhelming Republican support for voucher programs but also acknowledges the tensions that exist in both parties on educational choice. The chapter allows individuals and corporations to receive tax credits for donations to organizations that then award "scholarships" to students to attend public or private schools. The combined history of legislation and the analysis of the legal and political barriers, suggests that private school choice is likely to grow at a relatively slow pace, with most of the growth coming through expansion of new and existing choice programs. The potential legal constraints on vouchers come from both the US and state constitutions.
