Planks for Platform

EDUCATION

We recognize that competition between schools can provide higher quality at lower prices. The two major parties caused America’s education cost “crisis” by creating oligopolies of non-profit schools with preferential subsidies. The socialist left prefers public schools, while the corporatist right often favors private non-profit schools, especially those serving religions and the wealthy.

We support competition by eliminating all government subsidies to non-profit schools. Public schools should not receive direct government appropriations, including those for K-12 from state and local property taxes (which favors the wealthy). Non-profit public and private schools and their donors should not receive tax exemptions. The government should retain taxpayer intellectual property rights for government research grants awarded to colleges.

We recognize the market imperfection that children cannot rely on education financing from their parents, goodwill or tax credits. The Federal government should provide vouchers or other subsidies that follow students totaling $7,000 to $14,000 per year for K-12 students, and $10,000 to $20,000 for college students. Subsidies should be awarded systematically and indiscriminately to all students. The value of vouchers should start on the high end and be reduced as competition between schools develop.

Other subsidies awarded to students, including current Federal grants and loans, much smaller state grants and loans, the college tax credit, and any other grants or scholarships made using tax credits, should be eliminated or counted against total subsidies received. Students attending for-profit schools could be granted temporary larger vouchers to level the playing field for past subsidies converted to long-term assets like buildings at non-profits. Special-needs students could be granted greater amounts of subsidies.