A Think Twice Review of:

Review of NEPC Review: Estimating the LongRun Impact of a Universal ESA Program in Mississippi

Think Twice - Feb 24, 2026

Publisher/Think Tank - EdChoice

Author(s) - Martin Lueken and Michael Q. McShan

A recent report from EdChoice estimates the long-term economic returns of a universal education savings account (ESA) policy in Mississippi. ESA policies provide taxpayer dollars to households that decline to send their children to public schools, allowing those funds to be used for private school tuition or other educational expenses. As ESAs and similar school choice programs expand rapidly across the country, rigorous research is essential to inform sound, evidence-based policymaking.

Reviewer(s) - David S. Knight, University of Washington

Although the EdChoice report attempts to measure the long-term economic benefits of a universal ESA, it contains significant methodological errors, questionable assumptions, and misleading conclusions. University of Washington professor David S. Knight reviewed Estimating the Long-Run Impact of a Universal ESA Program in Mississippi and found it offers limited value for informing sound public policy.