Other Democratic Governors are Wary of the President’s New School Funding Program. Not Polis.

Posted February 19, 2026

Last month, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis became the first Democratic governor to opt into President Donald Trump’s federal tax credit school voucher program. In doing so, he joins 26 of the 27 Republican governors who made the same decision.

Polis explained his decision at a Jan. 29 event hosted by the Invest in Education Foundation, a nonprofit organization led by billionaire Anthony J. de Nicola, chairman of a private investment firm managing more than $30 billion in assets. The event brought together national school choice advocates, lobbyists and representatives from scholarship granting organizations that hope to administer the program in Colorado.

The federal tax credit voucher provision was included in the Republicans’ sweeping tax and spending legislation passed in July without Democratic support. The program provides a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit of up to $1,700 for individual donations made to scholarship granting organizations, or SGOs, which then distribute funds to selected students. Governors must formally opt in for students in their states to be eligible.

Norm Brownstein, a prominent national lobbyist based in Colorado, introduced Polis, describing the initiative as the culmination of a “40-year” effort to establish a federal school choice program. Brownstein’s firm worked closely for years with the Invest in Education Coalition, the 501(c)(4) arm of Invest in Education, which lobbies for federal school choice legislation and has maintained close ties to the Trump administration.

Brownstein also serves on the national board of ACE Scholarships, one of three Colorado-based SGOs represented at the event. ACE Scholarships was founded in 2000 by conservative donors, including billionaire John Walton, son of Walmart founder Sam Walton. John Walton argued that “public schools would only improve, if ‘customers’ — parents — had the power to leave ineffective schools and take the money with them.” The Walton Family Foundation has since spent billions of dollars nationwide supporting charter schools and voucher initiatives.

Prior to the event, Polis characterized the federal tax credit as “free money,” saying it was not a voucher, and could benefit public school students through services such as tutoring and after-school programs. However, the U.S. Treasury Department has not yet finalized regulations governing how the program will operate, leaving open questions about eligibility and allowable uses of the funds.

Michael Petrilli, president of the conservative Fordham Institute, questioned why Polis opted in before the regulations were finalized, adding it is “pretty clear that the Trump administration is not going to let them narrow the scope of the program.” Researchers at the National Education Policy Center, the Education Law Center, the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the National Coalition for Public Education, and the Southern Education Foundation also disputed claims that the program is cost-free, citing potential losses in federal revenue and negative impacts on public school funding.

In an email statement, Polis’ press secretary, Shelby Wieman, said the governor submitted the opt-in form “to officially signal Colorado’s intent to participate in the tax credit in order to give Colorado taxpayers new opportunities to invest in Colorado students at all school types.”

Speakers at the Invest in Education Coalition event echoed Polis’ past support to give “parents the ability to choose the best option for their kids,” emphasizing the benefits of expanding student access to private and religious schools. Trisha Sullivan, executive director of the Seeds of Hope SGO, suggested that Colorado’s estimated 600,000 Catholic residents could generate as much as $1 billion in donations to increase Catholic school attendance statewide.

Polis’ decision contrasts with the approach of most Democratic governors, many of whom have said they will wait until federal regulations are finalized. Governors in Wisconsin, Oregon, Hawaii and New Mexico publicly stated they will opt out of the program. A spokesperson for New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham cited concerns about “a lack of accountability measures in the legislation and a potential loss of funding for public schools.” Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers warned that the federal voucher program would be “catastrophic for public schools.”

Colorado voters have rejected voucher-related ballot measures three times, and similar proposals have failed in every statewide vote across the country. The Trump administration renamed the program the “Education Freedom Tax Credit Act,” never mentioning the word voucher.

Whether Polis’ decision will be final remains unclear. More than 15 education advocacy organizations urged him not to opt Colorado into the program and continue to organize opposition. Polis’ term ends in November, and gubernatorial candidate Phil Weiser has said publicly he would not support participation in the federal voucher program.

It is not yet known whether federal regulations will allow a state to reverse its decision once a governor has opted in, leaving unanswered questions about Colorado’s long-term participation.

Mike DeGuire, Ph.D., is the vice chair of Advocates for Public Education Policy. He has been a teacher, district level reading coordinator, executive coach, and a principal in the Denver metro area for most of his education career. This commentary is republished from Colorado Newsline under a Creative Commons license.