The governor insisted the program would not result in traditional public schools losing money.
By: Madina Touré
05/11/2026 03:23 PM EDT
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NEW YORK — Gov. Kathy Hochul defended a GOP-backed scholarship program Monday amid staunch opposition from New York’s powerful teachers union.
Details: The Democratic governor made waves last week when she signaled her support for the federal tax credit at a private gathering. The program allows taxpayers to write off contributions to charitable organizations that provide scholarships for private school tuition and other expenses.
New York State United Teachers has argued that it will siphon billions of tax dollars away from public schools and into private schools with no oversight. Hochul dismissed those concerns Monday, insisting the initiative entails individuals taking their own money and getting a federal tax deduction.
She also pointed to nearly $40 billion in total school aid in a “general” budget agreement she announced last week.
“It’s not public dollars that could’ve been going to public schools are now going to private schools,” Hochul told POLITICO during a media availability Monday. “That’s just not how it works. This is someone deciding they want to support the tuition for their own child.”
States can voluntarily opt into the program. Hochul would be joining a small group of Democratic-led states that are embracing it. Only two other Democratic governors — Colorado’s Jared Polis and North Carolina’s Josh Stein — have been supportive.
The initiative — part of the One Big Beautiful Act signed into law last year — offers dollar-for-dollar tax credits to donors who contribute up to $1,700 a year. Students are eligible if their families earn up to 300 percent of the area’s median income.
Hochul said she has indicated since last summer that she wants to review the regulations to ensure they do not detrimentally impact public schools — and wants to “lean into this if there’s no exclusion.”
She also said she’s been encouraging labor leaders “for months” to become a scholarship organization “that people can contribute to you or to some other entity or to public schools.” Hochul added that she plans to continue to wait and see how the regulations shape up.
“If there is a way for people who care about public education to broaden this and get people to contribute and help get a critical mass of money to help schools that otherwise are struggling with tutors or field trips or anything, why wouldn’t we do that?” she charged. “This is what I’m concerned about. I’m not sure this is being characterized the way I see it.”
Why this matters: The governor’s latest remarks stand to set up a fight with the state and city’s teachers unions — as well as put her at odds with fellow New York Democrats who are aligned with them.
“New Yorkers have rejected this approach before, and we sincerely hope that once the full details of President [Donald] Trump’s voucher scheme emerge, it will be clear state leadership should reject it again,” NYSUT President Melinda Person said last week.
State Sen. John Liu, who heads the Senate’s New York City Education Committee, also vowed to introduce a bill to stop the state from participating if Hochul decides to opt in to the program.