DATELINE: WASHINGTON

More than 171,000 children are benefiting from school voucher and scholarship tax credit programs this year, according to the national nonprofit Alliance for School Choice. The Alliance today released its School Choice Yearbook 2008-09, the school choice movement’s most-comprehensive digest of facts, trends, news, and research.
The 60-page Yearbook is complete with fast facts and useful data for education reformers. For example:

. There are 18 school choice programs operating in 10 states and the District of Columbia.
. Student enrollment in school choice programs grew 8 percent-to a projected 171,332 students-over the 2007-08 school year and has grown 89 percent since the 2003-04 school year.
. There are 24,190 students with special needs receiving scholarships to attend the private schools of their parents‘ choice.
. Legislators in 44 states introduced school choice bills during the 2007-08 legislative session.
. Pennsylvania has more students (43,764) in school choice programs than any other state, but Florida is a close second with 41,843 students. Florida’s enrollment numbers are expected to increase during the school year.
In 2008, new private school choice programs were created in Georgia and Louisiana, while four additional programs were improved or expanded. As a result of 2008 successes, there are now an estimated 22,700 additional scholarship opportunities available for the 2008-09 school year.
The Yearbook, an award-winning annual publication, contains detailed information about each state’s school choice offerings, as well as features about the growing Democratic support for school choice and support among public school teachers for vouchers and tax credit programs.

„The success and growth of the school choice movement comes not as a result of work in Washington, D.C., but because of work by state-level activists, parents, and committed lawmakers across the country,“ said Alliance Interim President John Schilling. „Through the Yearbook, we are honored to chronicle the hard work and achievements of the school choice heroes spanning the country from Phoenix to Providence.“

The School Choice Yearbook is available for download online at www.AllianceForSchoolChoice.org .

CONTACT: Alliance for School Choice
Andrew Campanella, 202-280-1985
[email protected] http://www.businesswire.com