Devin Cleveland mug

Missouri men's basketball forward Mark Mitchell is eligible to compete again after a Kentucky judge granted a temporary injunction Friday, giving the fifth-year senior another opportunity to play for the Tigers during the 2026-27 season.

The decision from Jefferson Circuit Court Judge Brian C. Edwards follows a second round of legal proceedings over Mitchell's eligibility. Edwards previously granted Mitchell and other college athletes temporary restraining orders Sept. 4, but an appeals court reversed that decision Oct. 2, allowing the NCAA to enforce its eligibility restrictions while the case returned to circuit court for another hearing.

Missouri coach Dennis Gates testified during Wednesday's hearing in Louisville, Kentucky, in support of Mitchell's case. Edwards ultimately ruled in favor of the athletes again. He determined that they faced the potential loss of a college season they could not recover if they were prevented from competing.

The judge also concluded that the NCAA had not demonstrated comparable harm from allowing the athletes to play while their cases continued through the legal system.

Mitchell's eligibility dispute is not necessarily finished. The NCAA could challenge the latest ruling in the Kentucky Court of Appeals, potentially creating another round of uncertainty for the Tigers as the season approaches. The outcome of a future appeal could determine whether Mitchell remains eligible for the entire season.

For Missouri, the ruling offers a significant development as Gates prepares his roster for the upcoming campaign. Mitchell is an experienced forward whose availability would give the Tigers another established option as they navigate a competitive Southeastern Conference schedule.

Other athletes receive injunctions

Mitchell was among several college athletes who received favorable rulings Friday in disputes with the NCAA over eligibility. Courts in Indiana, New Jersey and Mississippi also rejected NCAA requests to stay rulings that allowed athletes to compete, providing additional developments in the broader legal fight over college eligibility rules.

The cases reflect continuing disagreements over how the NCAA applies its eligibility restrictions and how those rules affect athletes seeking additional seasons of competition. Although Friday's decisions offer opportunities for the athletes involved, the legal proceedings are ongoing, and further appeals could affect their status.

Missouri prepares for Kansas State exhibition

Missouri is scheduled to open its exhibition slate against Kansas State on Friday, Oct. 23, in Manhattan, Kansas. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. with the game available to watch on ESPN+.

Mitchell's restored eligibility gives Missouri a chance to prepare for the exhibition with the forward back in the mix, although, the continuing legal process means his status could remain a developing story.

(The Center Square) - Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo and Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford are competing neck to neck as the nation tunes in to the Nevada gubernatorial race.

Elsewhere in the state’s executive branch, candidates to succeed Ford as attorney general debate what makes for the right experience. And an electoral rematch plays out in the secretary of state's race.

An Emerson College Polling/KLAS-TV survey from Sept. 5-8 gave Ford the slight advantage over Lombardo at 44% to 42%, with 11% of the 680 likely voters still undecided. That's essentially a statistical tie, when the percentage of error is considered.  In a later Sept. 22-26 poll by Noble Predictive Insights, 800 registered voters gave Lombardo a narrow lead over Ford by 42% to 40%, again a statistical tie. Users on Kalshi’s predictive market have Ford (51%) and Lombardo (49%), nearly tied at the time of writing.

Candidates have debated everything from data centers to education, voter ID, abortion, affordable housing, the tourism industry and Nevada's relationship with the federal government.

But no topic in the gubernatorial race has received as much attention as the economy.

According to the Emerson College poll, 43% of likely Nevada voters said the economy was their top issue, followed by housing affordability at 15% and healthcare at 10%.

“As governor, you’ll see me stop greedy corporate investors from buying up our homes and pricing Nevadans out of their neighborhoods,” Ford said at a press conference. “You’ll see me sign a bill to cap prescription drug prices to their Medicare negotiated price. You’ll see me sign bills to stop families from going bankrupt from medical bills, and you’ll see me sign bills to halt NV Energy’s demand charge, which Joe Lombardo supports.”

The Attorney General’s office under Ford has regularly sued the federal government and Trump administration. Along with most other state attorneys general, Ford gained a settlement from pharmaceutical companies over inflated prices from 2009-2019. Ford unsuccessfully sued NV Energy, the state’s primary energy utility company, over its demand charge change earlier this year.

Lombardo has highlighted the need to cut down on crime and reduce regulations to make for a friendly business environment. His campaign website said he would oppose tax increases for Nevadans and reduce taxes on businesses. 

In a May conference with the Las Vegas Chamber, he said he would continue to invest in the sports economy.

“We’re known as the entertainment capital. Now let’s progress towards the sports capital,” Lombardo said. “Why is that important? I’m sure that’s part of the question, and it’s because diversifying the economy is important. You’ve heard me talk about that from day one.”

In 2023, Gov. Lombardo signed into law a $380 million taxpayer investment for the Athletics’ $1.5 billion stadium move to Las Vegas. Construction is proceeding on the stadium, located on the Strip at what used to be the Tropicana casino. The team was formerly the Oakland A's.

Other teams in Las Vegas include the Raiders football team.

Along with candidates in countless other races across the country, Lombardo and Ford have traded barbs over fuel costs and data centers in recent months.

On Thursday, Ford’s campaign highlighted a report on his X social media account about the Iran War’s impact on high gas prices in Nevada. 

“Your housing, health care, grocery, and gas bills are skyrocketing because Joe Lombardo and Donald Trump are working together to raise your costs,” wrote Ford. “When I’m governor, my top priority will be making things cost less, so every hardworking Nevadan can achieve the American dream.”

The Iran War has cost the average American household $864.85 since it began in February, according to the Institution on Taxation and Economic policy. Ford's campaign website said he would focus on lowering energy costs by increasing renewable energy use such as solar, pushing back on rate increases by utility companies and on federal policies that he said hurt Nevada's energy industry.

Lombardo has also expressed concern over high fuel prices, but has focused more on what he has called an overreliance by Nevada on California oil.

“There is no readily available alternative supply network that can replace California’s production at scale,” read a letter from March that Lombardo sent to California Gov. Gavin Newsom asking for the state to decrease its gas regulations. “As a result, policy decisions that materially affect refinery operations in your state directly and immediately impact fuel availability, pricing, and economic stability in Nevada.”

Missouri men's basketball added another highly ranked prospect to its 2027 recruiting class Friday when four-star guard Devin Cleveland announced his commitment to the Tigers during a CBS Sports broadcast.

Cleveland, a 6-foot-3 combo guard at La Lumiere School is ranked No. 30 nationally in the 2027 class. He chose Missouri over Michigan and TCU, giving coach Dennis Gates another major addition as the Tigers continue building for the future.

Cleveland visited Columbia during Mizzou's Homecoming weekend and attended the Tigers' football game against Florida. The visit gave him an opportunity to experience the university and its atmosphere as he weighed his college options.

The relationships Cleveland developed with Gates and Missouri's coaching staff played a significant role in his decision. He said he believes Columbia will provide an environment where he can grow both on and off the court.

“It just felt like home,” Cleveland said during his commitment announcement. “I feel like it's somewhere I can go get bigger, for sure, but also me just becoming a better man and an opportunity that they've been giving me. I just feel like it's home, and I think I made the right decision.”

Cleveland's commitment gives Gates another highly regarded guard to build around in the 2027 class. He joins fellow four-star guard Scottie Adkinson to add to Missouri's backcourt recruiting efforts as the program looks to bring in more talent for the coming seasons.

Cleveland also made clear what he hopes to bring to the Tigers when he eventually arrives in Columbia. Beyond his ability as a guard, he emphasized his willingness to work, contribute to the team and help the program compete for championships.

“They're getting a hard worker, a person that's willing to give his all to the team and the community surrounding me,” Cleveland said. “I'm just here to win championships, and that's what I'm coming in to do.”

The commitment marks another recruiting win for Gates as Missouri continues assembling its 2027 class. With Cleveland joining Adkinson, the Tigers have added two highly ranked guards who could help shape the program's future in the Southeastern Conference.

(The Center Square) – Candidates for superintendent of public instruction in California and Arizona are outlining priorities for public education ahead of the Nov. 3 election over school choice, education funding, accountability and more.  

The Center Square exclusively interviewed Republican candidates Sonja Shaw in California and Kimberly Yee in Arizona. Democratic candidates Richard Barrera and Dr. Teresa Leyba Ruiz did not respond to The Center Square’s multiple requests for an interview. 

California voters will choose between Barrera, president of the San Diego Unified School District Board of Education, and Shaw, president of the Chino Valley Unified School District Board of Education.

Barrera’s campaign emphasizes increased education funding, affordable housing for educators and universal early childhood education, among other priorities. 

“The solutions aren’t in Sacramento — they’re in our classrooms, our communities, and the hands of the educators and families who know what our students need,” Barrera states on his campaign website.

According to Transparency USA, Barrera’s campaign has reported $313,428 in total contributions. Listed contributors include the United Domestic Workers of America Action Fund, which contributed $19,800, and the California Teachers Association/Association for Better Citizenship, which contributed $19,600. 

Shaw criticized state education policies, arguing that students should not be subjected to unproven approaches and that more funding should reach classrooms directly.

“Our kids shouldn't be test products. Things should be fully implemented. We should see how it works … We have great teachers, but unfortunately they don’t have the support or the resources,” Shaw told The Center Square.  

Shaw also questioned how education funding is allocated, arguing that money should support student interventions, after-school programs and activities that encourage students to remain engaged in school.

“I would like to see the money go back straight to the classroom; to intervention projects, to helping with after-school programs … things that keep kids excited about going to school at the end of the day. That is where the money should be going, not these pet projects,” Shaw said. 

Shaw said schools should refocus on foundational academic subjects like reading, writing and math to prepare students for college or career pathways after high school. 

Shaw also told The Center Square that she favors school choice programs because it should be up to the parents to decide what is best for their child. 

“As a parent, I do believe that you should have the choice, and I don’t think anybody should be afraid of the choice because if you offer a good product, people by default will already pick your product of public schools.” 

Shaw has also been a huge advocate against transgender athletes in girls' sports and continues to urge the state of California and the California Interscholastic Federation to follow the federal law of Title IX to protect girls in sports. 

Transparency USA lists Shaw’s campaign as having $460,565 in total contributions. Disclosed contributors include The Yuba County Republican Party, listed as a contributor of $12,340.50. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who lost during the gubernatorial primary, contributed $9,800, and Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, R-San Diego, donated $5,500. 

The East Valley Republican Women and Patriot Store, the Los Angeles County Lincoln Clubs Political Action Committee and the Republican Club of San Francisco are each listed with $3,000 contributions. 

In Arizona, voters will choose between Republican Yee and Democrat Ruiz for superintendent of public instruction. 

Ruiz is an educator with 35 years of experience. She's also the former president of Glendale Community College in the Phoenix area.

Yee, a former Arizona state treasurer, supports a range of educational options.

“I'm a strong believer that parents know their children best, and what their unique needs are for education,” Yee told The Center Square. “[W]e have options from traditional district public schools to public charter schools, to homeschools, to private schools, to micros schools, to tribal schools; all of them belong on the menu of options for parents to choose the best education that fits their child's unique needs.”

Yee also criticized Arizona’s academic performance, saying the state ranks at the 25th percentile in reading and math proficiency for fourth- and eighth-grade students.

She wants to restore phonics-based reading instruction and traditional mathematics instruction, pointing to Mississippi’s literacy gains as an example of what targeted changes can accomplish.

“I would like to bring back phonics-based reading instruction, and we have seen the state of Mississippi do this and be very successful at increasing their proficiency in early literacy,” Yee said. 

Yee also called for greater transparency in school district budgets and more education funding directed toward classrooms and teachers. Citing the Phoenix-based Goldwater Institute, Yee highlighted that there has been an 8% increase in administrative funding. 

“We have to follow the money because these are taxpayer dollars,” Yee said.  

Teacher retention is another priority for Yee. She proposed a mentorship program pairing newer teachers with experienced or retired educators to help with professional development, classroom instruction, student discipline, time management and parent engagement.

“You can never replace the treasure of a teacher in the classroom,” Yee told The Center Square. 

On artificial intelligence in schools, Yee said students should be taught to use the technology ethically and responsibly. She also called for parental consent and input regarding how extensively AI is used in their children's education.

“We do have to make sure students understand that they have to be responsible with this tool. They have to be ethical with it,” Yee added. 

According to Transparency USA, Yee’s campaign has $323,669 in total contributions, with the Maricopa County Republican Party listed as contributing $309.27.

Ruiz’s campaign website calls for tighter oversight of Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program, which allows eligible families to use public funds for approved education expenses outside the traditional public school system.

Her platform proposes ending automatic approval of ESA expenditures of $2,000 or less, implementing an automated system to verify that taxpayer funds are used for education and establishing stricter audits.

Ruiz also advocates for increased funding for public schools and expanding universal pre-K. 

Addressing teacher shortages and increasing teacher compensation is also a priority for Ruiz. 

Ruiz’s campaign has reported $188,096 in total contributions, according to Transparency USA. The Arizona Democratic Party is listed as contributing $6,566.

The Arizona Education Association Fund for Public Education has endorsed Ruiz and contributed $10,000 to the Arizona Democratic Party in 2026, according to Transparency USA.

For other Southwest states, Colorado and Nevada have different processes for selecting their top state education officials.

Colorado’s commissioner of education, Susana Córdova, assumed office June 26, 2023, and was unanimously appointed by the Colorado State Board of Education. 

Nevada’s superintendent of public instruction is appointed by the governor from candidates recommended by the State Board of Education. Dr. Victor Wakefield assumed the position on Oct. 27, 2025.

(The Center Square) – Less than three weeks out from Election Day, Democrats are ramping up their rhetorical attacks on Republicans, tapping into U.S. voters’ affordability concerns.

Two years into the second Trump administration, the country “needs dramatic change,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., told reporters Friday.

“We were promised that costs would go down on day one, but costs haven't gone down,” Jeffries said. “Life has gotten way too expensive, and [President Donald Trump’s] tariffs have unfortunately increased costs on everyday Americans by thousands of dollars per year.”

Jeffries added that Democrats are “committed to making sure your taxpayer dollars are actually spent in a way that makes your life more affordable.”

Democrats have primarily hammered their opponents over rising costs of gas and groceries – due mostly to Trump’s tariffs and the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict – as well as rising healthcare plan costs, which they claim are due to Republicans’ refusal to renew the expansion of certain Obamacare subsidies.

The Premium Tax Credit, temporarily boosted during the COVID-19 pandemic, reverted to original levels last year after a grueling government shutdown, where Democrats refused to fund the government for 43 days over demands that Republicans renew the sunsetting pandemic extension.

The PTC is a subsidy that goes directly to health insurance companies. Those companies are supposed to use 80% of it to lower ACA marketplace enrollees’ monthly premiums and are allowed to keep 20% of the money for overhead costs and profit.

Extending the enhanced portion of the subsidy would have cost at least $350 billion over the next ten years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

A Government Accountability Office report had also uncovered systemic fraud risk in the enhanced subsidies. More than 90% of GAO’s fake applicants received coverage, with GAO noting that “agents and brokers have a financial incentive to maximize enrollments” under the tax credit system.

Democrats, however, accused Republicans of “stripping healthcare away from Americans,” a message many have continued to voice in their 2026 midterm campaigns.

With control of Congress at stake, Republicans point to massive tax cuts in their signature “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” as evidence that they are addressing cost of living concerns. They also argue that tariffs are promoting the domestic manufacturing industry and overall economic growth.

“President Trump’s America First agenda and Republican policies are spurring a resurgence of American industry. In fact, we added 72,000 manufacturing jobs in 2026 alone and factory wages have increased by 7.9%,” House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, stated. “Together, we’re ushering in the Golden Age of America.”

Republicans have also highlighted the growing numbers of Democratic Socialist candidates on the 2026 ballot, which they argue is indicative of rising extremism in the Democratic party.

“This election is going to be between ‘we’ and ‘they,’ Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, posted on social media Friday. “If you are a communist, transgender witch, vote Democrat. But if you’re a trucker diver, steel worker, farmer, rancher, waiter, cop, firefighter, oil field worker, mom, or dad, show up and vote Republican!”

(The Center Square) – Some legislators are calling for more taxpayer funding of nonprofit security grants after a potential mass shooting was averted in the Chicago suburbs.

U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Illinois, said he and countless other families were at the Balaji temple in Aurora on Oct. 10 to mark the beginning of one of the most important holidays in the Hindu religion, when an alleged shooter was in the parking lot with 300 rounds of ammunition.

“He took one shot at a passerby, and according to the police, his gun jammed,” Krishnamoorthi said at a news conference Friday in Chicago.

Krishnamoorthi said the suspect informed a co-worker that he was going back to finish the job, but the co-worker informed police, who arrested Alexandros Paporakis, 19, as he was leaving his home in Palatine that night.

“According to court documents, the manifesto that he wrote described Indians, Jews, Black people and other minorities as, quote, sub human,” Krishnamoorthi said.

The congressman said the shooter was radicalized by social media, where silos of communities develop and vent hate.

“And they reinforce each other, driving up engagement and driving up profit for those tech companies, so they are profiting off of hate. But what we know is that hate doesn’t just stay on the internet, it transforms into violence,” Krishnamoorthi said.

Krishnamoorthi said Congress should close the immunity from liability loophole that Big Tech companies enjoy under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Deerfield, said the federal investment has grown from $300 million to $500 million, but the Jewish community is doing more.

“$1 billion is being invested in security, one community, $1 billion across the country because of the threats we’re facing,” Schneider said.

Schneider said he is a proud Jew who has lived his whole life under the shadow of going to synagogue with armed guards.

Krishnamoorthi said the federal government has withheld nonprofit security grants for “purely political reasons.”

State Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, said Illinois’ nonprofit security grant program provided $20 million in its first year, plus subsequent funding, but more is needed.

“As we start our budget conversations, looking through opportunities to fund this program at a higher level and get this funding out the door quicker to the communities that are especially experiencing hate is a top priority,” Villivalam said.

Illinois’ Not-for-Profit Security Grant Program provides up to $150,000 per site for security upgrades to eligible nonprofits who are deemed at high risk of a threat, attack or acts of terrorism. 

(The Center Square) – The NCAA on Friday sued Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine in federal court after the governor issued an executive order earlier this week giving Ohio colleges and universities the option to expand the eligibility options for some student-athletes.

“In June, the NCAA adopted a new eligibility model, giving all otherwise eligible student-athletes up to five years of competition,” DeWine said in a statement.

Under the new rules, eligibility starts the academic year after a student turns 19 or when first enrolled full-time in college, whichever comes first.

“Under the NCAA’s implementation guidance, however, student-athletes who graduated from high school in 2022 and have already completed four seasons of competition are denied a fifth season,” DeWine said.

The controversy is over fairness, DeWine said,

"When the rules change, fairness has to remain part of the equation," DeWine said. "We want Ohio's student-athletes to have the same opportunity as student-athletes in other states."  

The NCAA said Friday it took the “extraordinary” step of suing DeWine because the order would give Ohio schools an advantage.

“This action was necessary following the governor’s issuance of an executive order that attempts to compel Ohio colleges and universities to ignore NCAA eligibility rules to the disadvantage of thousands of student athletes and institutions across the country,” the NCAA said in a statement.

The lawsuit cited several constitutional violations in DeWine’s order, including the First Amendment by “purporting to provide Ohio institutions with legal cover to maintain their NCAA membership while simultaneously flouting the NCAA’s rules. The Executive Order is unlawful because Governor DeWine lacks the authority to permit Ohio colleges and universities to disregard the rules they have agreed to follow by rostering ineligible student-athletes.”

DeWine declined to comment on the lawsuit, his spokesman, Dan Tierney, told The Center Square.

(The Center Square) – Katie Zacharia is out as White House press secretary, a White House official confirmed to The Center Square Friday.

President Donald Trump told reporters Friday he had allowed Zacharia to “reconsider” the role, and the White House confirmed shortly afterward that Zacharia was “transitioning out” of the job.

She spent just five days in the role and held her first White House press briefing Tuesday. Zacharia took questions from only three reporters, one of whom was chosen by the White House for its new media seat, and wrapped up the briefing in roughly 15 minutes. 

Zacharia came to the White House from Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social, where she worked as a senior communications adviser, according to her LinkedIn profile. Although she graduated from Pepperdine University's law school in 2011, her legal credentials came under scrutiny amid reports that she was never admitted to practice law in the United States. Zacharia acknowledged Thursday on Fox News' "Hannity" that she failed the California bar exam but has maintained that she worked in international transactional law in China.

Zacharia replaced former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt after Leavitt resigned, citing a desire to spend more time with her family.

(The Center Square) – Public education looks different from what it once did 50 years ago. Or 25 years ago. Or even six years ago.

Back then, just before the pandemic, Janine Yass and her husband, Jeff, prominent billionaire philanthropists who support school choice programs, were donating seed money to educators experimenting with different types of learning for students.

They were looking for programs that differed from the status quo, just as their Boys Latin of Philadelphia Charter School did when it opened in 2007. Twenty years later, the institution enrolls 800 students from sixth to 12th grade in a college preparatory curriculum. Nine out of 10 students graduate from high school, three-quarters of students are economically disadvantaged, and more than one-third receive special education services.

In the School District of Philadelphia, where most of their students come from, only three out of 10 are grade-level proficient in math and reading. Public education lobbyists and the lawmakers they bankroll say the hollowing out of neighborhood schools happened because state funding lagged the true cost of education. Students walk under asbestos-insulated ceilings, water fountains can be too polluted to use, and bathrooms lack toilet paper.

Enrollment at district schools has fallen 13% over the last decade and could decline another 10% by 2035. Meanwhile, alternative choices – charter schools, both in the city and online, as well as private options – have grown in popularity among families seeking a customized curriculum, spiking 191%. Whether it's college-level preparatory, life skills for children with disabilities, or art and music programs, the offerings have cannibalized roughly one-quarter of the city’s student population.

But, Yass said, the movement of children out of public schools, where math and reading proficiency had also cratered in many parts of the country, was accelerating faster outside Pennsylvania than inside. State regulation limited the number of charter schools that could operate, and districts had to agree to their contracts. It was often an expensive and fruitless endeavor, Yass said.

Over time, her focus shifted outward.

“We started taking our efforts to other cities,” she told The Center Square. “Not intentionally. Just really because it was easier and there are plenty of underserved children in states that we would be welcome to.”

And then the pandemic happened. Yass’ “ad-hoc” approach to school choice philanthropy was soon overwhelmed by requests from programs across the nation needing support for an influx of students.

And so, the Yass Prize was born: an annual contest that awards grants of up to $1 million to applicants across the country. Earlier this month, the foundation awarded $6 million to recipients, including $1 million each to The Learning Lounge in Pine Bluff, Ark., and the Salt & Light Academy in Philadelphia. Two other Pennsylvania schools, Cooking4Autism and Girard College, won $50,000 each.

Since 2021, 285 schools serving 14 million students have collected a total of $84 million.

Arizona Autism Charter Schools has expanded into seven campuses since it won $1 million in 2022. Its founder, Diana Diaz-Harrison, went on to serve as deputy assistant secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services at the U.S. Department of Education.

Supporters of school choice believe that these programs will place more power in the parents to utilize funds that are directly catered to their children's educational needs with the goal of increasing student achievement. 

The average cost of a school choice scholarship is roughly $6,000 per student, compared with about $18,000 in average public-school spending, according to EdChoice.  The Trump administration’s federal school choice tax credit program, of which 31 states have opted into, would allow individuals and married couples to contribute up to $3,400 to scholarship organizations to cover tuition and other educational expenses costs for students.

In a recent interview with The Center Square, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne said “it’s not a partisan issue.”

“It is a real opportunity to further empower parents in finding the best education for their children,” he said. “ Who doesn’t believe that parents should have that chance.”

So far, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has not signed onto the program, even as New York Gov. Kathy Hochul gave her final approval earlier this month. He said on the Oct. 7 debate stage that he hadn’t closed the door on the program and would be making an announcement about it “soon.”

Treasury officials and the Internal Revenue Service estimate the program could support nearly 700 organizations and generate $26 billion in annual contributions from more than 11 million taxpayers by 2030.

Darla Romfo, president and CEO of Children's Scholarship Fund, an organization participating in the tax credit program, said taxpayers who donate can direct their support toward scholarships for students. 

Romfo said states that do not participate could see tax credit donations benefit students from other states. 

“All this money was raised from taxpayers in your state, and it got spent on kids all over the rest of the country and not on your kids, because you didn't opt in,” Romfo told The Center Square. “And it wouldn't have cost you anything to opt in, wouldn't have taken $1 away from a public school. It would just simply help the kids in your state. And that was money that left your state and could have helped your kids.”

“Shame on them, because it costs them nothing,” Romfo said of states that have declined to participate.

Jorge Elorza, CEO of Democrats for Education Reform and advocate for school choice, told The Center Square that Democrats have fallen behind both politically and policy-wise on K-12 education.

“Voters are watching. They see that we have been silent on this issue," Elorza said. "Now there is a political imperative for us to reprioritize and refocus on K-12 education. And it can’t be more of the same. It can’t just be more money to be more of the same. That is not working.”

Esther Wickham contributed to this report.