Education

As demand nears cap, parents praise school-choice program

March 17, 2026

Ray Carter

This week marked the beginning of the enrollment period for the Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit program, which allows families to obtain refundable tax credits to pay for private-school tuition in the coming 2026-2027 school year.

“In Oklahoma, we trust parents to make the best decisions for their children’s education, and this program helps eligible families choose private school for their kids,” said Gov. Kevin Stitt. “We’re proud to expand educational freedom and give all Oklahoma families more options.”

The Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit program provides refundable tax credits of $5,000 to $7,500 per child to cover the cost of private school tuition. The largest tax credits go to those with the lowest incomes and families with income of less than $150,000 per year are prioritized.

Families earning up to $75,000 can receive a $7,500 per-child refundable tax credit; those earning $75,001 to $150,000 get a credit of $7,000 per child; families with income from $150,001 to $225,000 qualify for a $6,500 credit; those earning $225,001 to $250,000 receive a $6,000 credit; and those earning $250,001 and up qualify for a credit of $5,000 per child.

Census data shows the median household income for married-couple households in Oklahoma, who comprise the vast majority of those with school-age children, was $95,573.

The program enrollment period runs from March 16 to June 15.

Parents have been quick to praise the program for the opportunities it has created for their children, responding to Stitt’s announcement on the governor’s official Facebook page.

“I have five daughters and my oldest just got accepted into Mount Saint Mary. This would’ve been near impossible without the PCT credit,” Marti Platt wrote.

“Thank you so much for this program,” wrote Jennifer Crum. “We are so thankful our kids can go to a school where they are free to worship.”

Tandi Neuschwander Wells responded, “Thank you so much! This is such a blessing. Our children are finally thriving again. They are in private schools that meet their needs.”

According to the most recent report from the Oklahoma Tax Commission, 39,604 children are attending private school this year thanks to the school-choice program with 56 percent from low-income or middle-class families in the under-$150,000 range.

Growing participation in the school-choice program has coincided with declining enrollment in Oklahoma’s public schools.

The Oklahoma Private School Accrediting Commission reports that it accredited 119 private schools that served 25,619 Oklahoma children in the 2021-2022 school year. Those figures have since increased to 192 schools serving 47,599 students in the 2025-2026 school year.

Additional private schools are accredited through other entities, but exact enrollment data is not readily available from those sources.

At the same time, both the official total enrollment and the average daily attendance, which records the number of students typically present at school, have begun to decline in Oklahoma’s public-school system.

In the 2024-2025 school year, there were 697,358 students enrolled in Oklahoma public schools as of Oct. 1, 2024.

In the ongoing 2025-2026 school year, there were 686,718 students enrolled, a decline of 10,640. This year’s enrollment level is the lowest since 2014.

Average daily attendance has also declined, although by a smaller amount.

During the first nine weeks of the 2024-2025 school year, public schools reported average daily attendance of 653,114.

Average daily attendance during the first nine weeks of the 2025-2026 school year was 646,190, a decline of 6,924 students.

Excluding cash forward and other savings, Oklahoma public-school funding from all sources—local, state and federal—has increased by more than $3 billion in recent years, rising from $6,300,400,107 in the 2017-2018 school year to $9,586,994,906 in the 2024-2025 school year.

Since public schools reported average daily attendance of 653,114 during the first nine weeks of the 2024-2025 school year, that translates into per-pupil revenue of $14,678, a figure that almost doubles the maximum credit offered to those using the Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit program.

Based on recent trends, officials expect participation in the Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit to increase again this year. However, the program is currently capped at $250 million in annual credits, and this year the program has provided more than $247.9 million in credits.

If demand exceeds the supply of credits in the 2026-2027 school year, as is expected based on current trends, some Oklahoma families will be turned away.

However, Stitt has called for removing the program cap and lawmakers are considering legislation that would raise the program cap to ensure no Oklahoma children are denied opportunity.

The parents commenting on Stitt’s gubernatorial Facebook page indicated the program is having outsized impact given its relatively small size in the overall state budget.

“This program has saved my son academically,” posted parent Ashley Waggoner. “To be able to find an accredited program that works for my son’s needs has been life changing.”