FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, October 1, 2026
Contact: Cindy Carr, ccarr@aftpa.org
AFTPA Calls On Gov. Shapiro To Reject Trump Voucher Scam
PENNSYLVANIA – Today, the Trump Administration released the regulations for its national private voucher scheme, which would divert billions of taxpayer dollars away from public schools. In Pennsylvania, public schools serve over 86 percent of our students —schools that welcome all children and remain the heart of our communities.
In response, AFT Pennsylvania President Wendy G. Coleman issued the following statement:
“AFT Pennsylvania calls on Governor Shapiro to reject the Trump Administration’s federal voucher scheme once and for all. Our students across the Commonwealth deserve equal access to high-quality education, regardless of zip code, family income, race, or disability status.
“Trump’s federal voucher scheme will weaken Pennsylvania’s public schools and funnel millions of dollars to private schools — money that could be used to hire more educators, modernize buildings, reduce class sizes, or provide air conditioning for older buildings. The data on this is clear: time after time, in state after state, data shows that voucher programs primarily subsidize families already enrolled in private schools while draining resources from public schools serving the vast majority of students. In addition, these private schools can choose who to admit and who to refuse, which most often includes students with special needs, poor students, and students of different religions. Pennsylvania students deserve better.
“Pennsylvania’s public schools are already critically underfunded, and the answer is clearly not to take more taxpayer funding away. Our students are our future in Pennsylvania, and they all deserve access to safe, welcoming, and fully funded public schools. These regulations do the opposite, and Governor Shapiro must reject them.”
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