Jude Schwalbach is a Senior Policy Analyst at Reason Foundation.
Schwalbach previously worked at Heritage Foundation’s Center for Education Policy, where his research focused on expanding educational opportunities for K-12 students and reducing the federal footprint in education. Before joining Heritage, Schwalbach taught high school in Phoenix, Arizona.
Schwalbach’s writings have appeared in The Hill, National Review, RealClear Education, Orange County Register, Washington Times, and redefinED.
Schwalbach holds a B.A. in philosophy from Thomas Aquinas College and an M.A. in political philosophy from Hillsdale College. He is based in Washington, D.C.
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The most important public school open enrollment laws and proposals of 2024
More than 48 million students now live in states with strong open enrollment laws that allow them to choose public schools other than their assigned ones.
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Funding Education Opportunity: How the 2024 elections affected the K-12 reform landscape
Plus: Despite school choice ballot measures failing in three states, state policymakers prepare to advance school choice proposals in Texas and Tennessee.
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California’s open enrollment laws have room for improvement
Thirty-three states score worse than California on open enrollment, but the state’s laws still fall short in two critical ways.
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What the birth dearth means for public schools
Fewer students and increased competition will require public institutions to be dynamic and responsive.
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Funding Education Opportunity: Grading states’ K-12 open enrollment laws
Plus: November ballot initiatives in five states and more.
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Grading every state’s public school open enrollment laws
Open enrollment laws let students transfer from their assigned public schools to other public schools with open seats.
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Public schools without boundaries 2024
Study finds Arizona, Idaho, Oklahoma, Utah, and West Virginia have the best public school transfer and open enrollment laws.
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Kentucky Amendment 2 would allow state funding for non-public education
Families in Kentucky have limited educational options if they cannot afford to pay for private education.
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Funding Education Opportunity: Student loan forgiveness is not the answer to strengthening public education
Plus: Education legislation news North Carolina, and more.
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Funding Education Opportunity: Why open enrollment transparency matters
Plus: Education legislation news from Texas, Florida, Arkansas and more.
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Rural West Virginia families embrace open enrollment
Open enrollment was the most common form of school choice last school year, garnering 48% of the state's school choice participants.
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Last year, 200,000 students in Colorado used open enrollment to pick their public school
K-12 open enrollment is an increasingly common and popular form of school choice, allowing students to attend classes outside their assigned public school zone
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Oklahoma now has the best open enrollment policy in the country
The state's open enrollment expansion strengthens its education marketplace so students are no longer trapped by their ZIP codes.
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Funding Education Opportunity: Ghost students strip taxpayers’ pocketbooks bare
Plus: Education legislation news Pennsylvania, and more.
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Transparent open enrollment reports help parents and taxpayers hold public schools accountable
These reports can reveal school districts’ unfair or bad practices, such as rejecting transfer applicants for arbitrary reasons.
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Transparent K-12 open enrollment data matters to parents, policymakers and taxpayers
A total of 16 states have strong statewide cross-district open enrollment laws, while 13 states have strong statewide within-district open enrollment laws.
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The important role of K-12 open enrollment policies in public schools
Open enrollment in public schools is a form of school choice that allows students to attend schools other than the one assigned to them by their school district.
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Funding Education Opportunity: Many school districts need to reduce staff, consolidate
Plus: Education spending data from all states, the latest school choice legislation, and more.