New York Governor Hochul maintains support for federal school choice program

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has reaffirmed her intention to opt the state into the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit, despite significant opposition from teachers' unions and civil rights organizations. The program, part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed by President Donald Trump, is scheduled to launch on January 1, 2027.

The initiative allows taxpayers to receive a federal tax credit of up to $1,700 for donations made to nonprofit scholarship-granting organizations. These organizations then provide scholarships to eligible K-12 students—typically those from families earning 300% or less of the median local income—to cover costs such as private school tuition, tutoring, and other educational expenses.

Opponents, including the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and the NAACP New York State Conference, held a rally in Manhattan to urge the governor to opt out. Union leaders argue the program could drain funding from public schools and allow private institutions to bypass accountability. Hochul is currently awaiting official guidelines from the Treasury Department before formally opting in.