Iowa's private school enrollment grows
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Thousands of students have switched from public to private schools since the beginning of Iowa's new education savings account (ESA) program, according to the Common Sense Institute (CSI), a conservative-leaning public policy organization.
Why it matters: The state's new law is helping more families afford alternative schooling options, CSI researchers say.
Flashback: Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law in 2023 allowing students to take public school funding allocated for them each year and use it toward private school tuition through a savings account.
- For the first two years, only kindergartners, public school transfer students and families earning up to 400% of the family poverty line (about $120,000 for a family of four) can apply for $7,800 annually to reimburse their tuition and education costs.
- Starting in July, ESAs will be open to anyone, regardless of income.
How it works: Using data from the Iowa Department of Education, CSI researchers estimate between 4,500 and 5,600 students who may not have had the means to attend private school were able to go because of the ESA program.
- The numbers were based on the 4,040 students who transferred from public to private schools since the program started, as well as an estimate of new kindergarten students who may not have been able to afford private school otherwise.
- They believe those students switched due to the program helping lower costs for families, which shows the program is so far a success, Ben Murrey, CSI's director of policy and research, tells Axios.
By the numbers: Private school enrollment in Iowa is rising, while public school numbers have decreased slightly since the start of the ESA program, according to numbers from the state Department of Education.
- For the 2024-25 school year, 27,866 students used the ESA program; 7% of those students attended a public school the previous school year.
- Meanwhile, public school enrollment decreased by 0.6% between 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- Private school enrollment grew 60% between 2023-24 and 2024-25, going from 17,000 to 27,866 students.
- By 2026-27, the state estimates, 45,000 students will be using an ESA account.
The other side: While the program may increase access for some Iowans, 44 rural Iowa counties don't have any non-public school options for students, says Melissa Peterson, policy director for the Iowa State Education Association, which advocates for public school staff.
- She says that the 7% increase in private school students is minimal and that Iowans are primarily subsidizing tuition for existing private school students, leaving less money for public schools.
- Peterson also points out that private school tuition has risen since the ESA program started. The Diocese of Des Moines is raising tuition by 10% next school year, KCCI reports.
- Murrey says tuition is expected to go up with the rise in demand, but he expects it will settle down as more private schools open.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify that CSI's estimate includes incoming kindergartners.