COVID-19 has powerfully impacted K–12 schooling, making it especially clear that no single school can serve all diverse children and that families need options. As a result, at least 28 states have seen legislation introduced this year to increase or expand private school choice. Unfortunately, a myth that has long dogged school choice continues to stand in the way: that choice “siphons” money from public schools. In this forum, Ben Scafidi and Martin Lueken, who tackle the siphoning myth in the new Cato book School Choice Myths: Setting the Record Straight on Education Freedom, will furnish a primer for dispelling the myth, explaining why it makes little sense generally and debunking it specifically for two states currently looking to expand choice.

• School Choice Myths by Neal McCluskey and Corey A. DeAngelis
• The Fiscal Effects of Private K–12 Education Choice Program in the United States by Marty F. Lueken
• An Analysis of the Fiscal and Economic Impact of New Hampshire’s Proposed Education Freedom Account (EFA) Program by Ben Scafidi