Faith coalition urges Newsom to opt California into Trump’s school choice program

A coalition of 121 California faith leaders, educators and school choice advocates is urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to opt into President Donald Trump’s Education Freedom Tax Credit (EFTC) program.

In an Oct. 23 letter obtained by The California Post, the coalition, which includes representatives of Catholic schools, Orthodox Jewish organizations and school choice advocacy groups, called on Newsom to let California participate.

“California dollars should remain in California to help California students,” the letter states.

Newsom’s office told The California Post it was reviewing the materials but had no further comment.

The coalition estimated that California students could receive up to $6.2 billion annually if 30% of eligible taxpayers claim the credit, citing an analysis by education advocacy organization Education Reform Now.

“The majority of California students who go to public school are going to use this on tutoring, on after-school care, helping working-class mothers and fathers who have two or three jobs pay for that after-school care,” Sydney Altfield, CEO of Teach Coalition and one of the letter’s co-chairs, told The Post.

Beginning in January 2027, the program will allow eligible taxpayers to claim a nonrefundable, dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit of up to $1,700 annually, or a combined $3,400 for married couples filing jointly, for qualifying donations to scholarship granting organizations (SGOs). These organizations will pool donations to provide scholarships for educational expenses, including tuition, tutoring and other academic services. The scholarships will be available to public and private school students, but only in states that participate.

Democrats inquire, participate

So far, 32 states have indicated they will participate, including Colorado, New York and New Mexico, whose Democratic governors have chosen to enroll their states. Newsom is among the Democratic governors still deciding whether to join the program. All Republican-led states have joined.

Other California schools have also encouraged Newsom to participate. In February, St. Genevieve Parish Schools in Panorama City launched a “Purple Postcard Campaign.” More than 1,100 students distributed approximately 15,000 postcards encouraging residents to ask Newsom to opt into the program.

A day before the coalition dated its letter, Newsom joined the governors of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan and New Jersey in an Oct. 22 letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent requesting clarification on the program’s costs, oversight and benefits for public school students.

“As we consider whether to participate in the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit under Section 25F of the Internal Revenue Code, we seek clarity on whether and how the program can provide meaningful opportunities for public school students while avoiding unintended consequences that could divert resources from or otherwise weaken our public education systems,” the letter states.

As the nation’s largest state, with more than 5.7 million K-12 students, California’s decision would likely reverberate beyond its borders. It could also impact Newsom, widely seen as a 2028 presidential candidate. While many Democrats have opposed school choice for its purported impact on public schools, Education Secretary Linda McMahon reiterated that the federal program is not intended to affect public school funding.

“This is not taxpayer dollars,” she told The California Post. “It is private sector money coming into these scholarship granting organizations.”