ALBANY, N.Y. (October 2, 2026) — In response to new federal regulations governing a tax credit voucher program that would let individual taxpayers receive up to $1,700 off their federal tax bill for contributions to scholarship-granting organizations, and as Governor Hochul considers whether to opt New York into this program, the Alliance for Quality Education issued the following statement:
“The new federal regulations released yesterday show just how much control Governor Hochul would be giving up if she opts into a voucher program that will direct taxpayer support toward private education. The new rules will put lower-income communities and communities of color at a disadvantage from the start.
“AQE has spent decades fighting to get resources to New York’s public schools, especially for students and communities facing the greatest barriers. Public education is a shared commitment to make sure every child has access to the resources and supports they need, no matter what their family can afford or raise on their own. Privatization moves us in the opposite direction by shifting power and public resources toward individual benefits and private institutions, where access can depend more on personal wealth and parental choice.
“If Governor Hochul chooses to opt in, taxpayer-supported dollars could flow toward private schools, while public schools, which serve the vast majority of students, including those with the greatest needs, are pushed even further behind. Public dollars should strengthen the schools that serve every child, not deepen systems where families are left to navigate access to resources on their own
“Students with disabilities could lose many of the protections they have today in public schools. Already some private schools are not covered by the same federal civil rights requirements as public schools, and families who use vouchers to attend private schools may lose some of the IDEA rights and services their children receive in public schools. No family should have to trade away protections against discrimination or access to needed supports as part of a publicly subsidized education program.
“These new regulations leave Governor Hochul with a clear choice about which direction New York will take next. She can help expand a federal voucher system that directs taxpayer dollars toward private education, or stand with the public schools that serve all of our children.
“Reverse course, Governor Hochul, and keep New York out of this federal voucher scam.”