New York has become the 31st state to join the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit program, a school choice initiative created under the Trump administration, after Governor Kathy Hochul announced the decision despite opposition from Democratic legislative leaders. The move follows a similar decision by Colorado’s Democratic governor and comes amid political debate, with Hochul emphasizing that the program would benefit all students, including those in public schools. Albany’s top Democrats had previously urged her to reject the program, arguing it should not replace investments in public education. The announcement arrives as Hochul faces a Republican challenger who has criticized her delay in participating.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has opted the state into the Trump administration’s Education Freedom Tax Credit, breaking with the Democratic leaders of both legislative chambers and making New York the 31st state to sign on to the first nationwide federal school choice program. Hochul is only the second Democratic governor to join, after Colorado Gov. Jared Polis. “I’m not going to leave money on the table when it could help our kids,” Hochul said in her Oct. 9 announcement, adding that she had been clear New York would participate “if, and only if, all schools and students, including those in our public schools, could benefit.” The decision came days after Albany’s top Democrats urged her to stay out. “New York should opt out of the federal voucher program and continue investing in the public schools that educate the overwhelming majority of our children,” Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) said in a statement. The move also lands weeks before Election Day, as Hochul faces Republican nominee Bruce Blakeman, who has criticized her for not opting in sooner. Read more [paywall removed for Redditors]: https://fortune.com/2026/10/22/hochul-new-york-opt-in-trump-education-freedom-tax-credit-school-choice/?utm_source=reddit/ submitted by /u/fortune [link] [comments]
