Trump Highlights School Choice and Education Overhaul at Rose Garden Back-to-School Event
- Kari Chilson
- 13 minutes ago
- 5 min read
In a White House Rose Garden event on August 24, 2026, celebrating back-to-school season, President Donald Trump outlined education reforms implemented since taking office, emphasizing parental control, school choice, and a return to core academic priorities.
Trump stated that the previous administration had “weaponized” the educational system with “extreme ideologies such as critical race theory and transgender insanity” forced on children as young as four and five. He said students were taught that “our heroes are villains,” while the FBI targeted “patriotic parents at school board meetings.” He cited data showing only 30 percent of students were proficient in reading and math under the prior administration, despite the United States spending more on education than any other country—by double—yet ranking near the bottom among top nations.
Upon taking office, Trump said he signed an executive order banning critical race theory and transgender ideology from public schools, and banned men from women’s sports. He declared that any public school telling a child they are “trapped in the wrong body” is “committing child abuse.” Courts have delivered victories on these issues, he noted, and schools are now on notice.
As part of what he called the “great, big, beautiful bill,” the administration passed the education freedom tax credit—the largest expansion of school choice in history—giving parents the power to send their children to high-quality schools that align with their values.
Families can now use expanded 529 education savings accounts, with the annual withdrawal cap for K-12 expenses doubled to $20,000, and accounts available for the first time to support homeschooling. Trump accounts provide every newborn with $1,000 at birth, with private contributions (including more than $6 billion from Michael and Susan Dell) and state-level support from donors expected to grow the funds.
Trump highlighted the return of the merit system after “decades of racist policies and illegal quotas,” so children are judged by achievements rather than race. Prayer is now protected in public schools. He signed an executive order beginning the process of eliminating the federal Department of Education to return control to the states.
Additional measures include restoring the Presidential Fitness Test, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act (allowing whole milk for more than 30 million schoolchildren), a “Real Food Pyramid,” and reformed vaccine recommendations—advocating five smaller shots for young children instead of one large dose, which he linked to potential autism prevention. Through the Freedom 250 Mobile Museum, students from over 3,750 schools are learning patriotic history for America’s 250th anniversary.
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon spoke at the event, describing a “hard reset.” She noted cuts to DEI funding redirected to teachers, classrooms, and evidence-based literacy; record support for charter schools and workforce training; waivers returning education to six states (freeing over $100 million from federal rules); and ed-flex authority in 25 states.
Parental rights are enforced aggressively, with schools facing loss of federal funding for sidelining parents on issues like secret transitions. McMahon said the reforms put education “back into the hands of those who know them, love them, and are best positioned to help them reach their God-given potential.”
Families shared personal stories. Pastor Caleb Griffith of Statesville, North Carolina, whose children include those with autism and developmental delays, credited Opportunity Scholarships and the new tax credits for access to needed services. Homeschooling parents Marina and Hubert of Jacksonville, Florida, thanked the administration for expanded 529 resources supporting their three children after more than a decade of home education.
Trump asserted that the administration has achieved more for American children in less than two years than most do in many years, declaring the “golden age of American education is just beginning.”
How the 529 expansion and Education Freedom Tax Credit work — including for Shasta County and North State families
Anyone can open a 529 for a named child through California’s ScholarShare 529 or another state’s plan. Federally, the K-12 withdrawal cap rose from $10,000 to $20,000 per student on January 1, 2026. Qualified uses now include tuition, curriculum, books, online programs, certain tutoring, test fees, dual enrollment, some therapies, and—per the administration—homeschool support. Earnings grow tax-deferred; qualified withdrawals are generally free of federal tax.
California gives no state deduction for 529 contributions and has not fully conformed to the federal K-12 rules. A K-12 or homeschool withdrawal can still trigger California tax on earnings plus a 2.5% penalty. Keep receipts. College, trade school, and apprenticeships still follow the usual 529 rules with no $20,000 cap. CalKIDS calkids.org is a separate college/career account, not a K-12 voucher.
The Education Freedom Tax Credit is a donor credit, not a payment to every family. Starting with gifts made January 1, 2027 (claimed on 2027 returns filed in 2028), an individual can get a dollar-for-dollar, nonrefundable federal credit of up to $1,700 a year ($3,400 if each spouse donates) for cash gifts to an approved Scholarship Granting Organization. Unused credit carries forward five years. Businesses cannot claim it. Scholarships can cover private school tuition, tutoring, and other eligible K-12 costs for students eligible for public school whose household income is at or below 300% of the HUD area median income.
A state must opt in and list qualifying SGOs. As of mid-2026, about 29–31 states had opted in or said they would; California had not. Shasta, Tehama, Siskiyou, Trinity, and other North State families generally cannot receive EFTC scholarships unless California joins. A local taxpayer can still donate to an SGO in a participating state and claim the credit; the scholarship would go to students in that other state.
Until then, local options include charter and independent-study/homeschool charters, inter-district transfers, private scholarships (BASIC Fund, Children’s Educational Foundation, Guardsmen), Community Foundation of the North State awards, the George Grotefend Scholarship, the Reach Higher Scholarship Fund, and Coverdell ESAs (up to $2,000 per child per year).
Disclaimer: This is a summary of the August 24, 2026 Rose Garden remarks and reported rules as of late August 2026. It is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Limits, eligible expenses, forms, and which states participate can change. Confirm details with the IRS (Topic 313; Federal Scholarship Tax Credit pages, including IR-2026-76; Form 15714; Rev. Proc. 2026-6; Notice 2025-70; Publication 970), Treasury, the Department of Education, your 529 plan (typically ScholarShare in California), and the California Franchise Tax Board before acting. Use the official IRS list of participating states and SGOs; third-party maps are unofficial. Recheck California’s opt-in status before assuming a North State student can receive an EFTC scholarship.
