Good News! Students with Disabilities Are Overrepresented in Private School Choice Programs

Authors

• Patrick J. Wolf, University of Arkansas, FayettevilleFollow
• John Kristof, EdChoice
• Alex Wolf, EdChoice
• Alli Aldis, EdChoice

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-8-2026

Keywords

Private school, choice programs, students with disabilities

Abstract

• Critics predicted that, once private school choice was implemented on a large scale, students with disabilities would become highly concentrated in the public school system. That hasn’t happened.
• We conservatively estimate that 258,844 students with disabilities are participating in private school choice programs.
• Students with disabilities are being served in the private school choice sector at a rate higher than that in the public school sector.
• Private school choice programs provide important educational options for many students with disabilities, helping ensure they can access the education that best meets their needs.

Citation

Wolf, P. J., Kristof, J., Wolf, A., & Aldis, A. (2026). Good News! Students with Disabilities Are Overrepresented in Private School Choice Programs. The American Enterprise Institute Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/edrepub/186