Vouchers

Today in caucus, I presented a discussion draft of voucher legislation. The bill will pay private school tuition of $500 to $3000 (the larger amount going toward tuition for poorer children). A few points:

1. The public school system works well for most children. But, does it work well for 100% of the children? Of course not. Children come in all kinds. And, not all children thrive in a public school setting. But, let's say it works well for 98 or 99% of those children. What about the other 1 or 2% who aren't thriving in public schools and come from families that can't afford to get them out of public schools? Do they want to be there? And, honestly, if they aren't thriving, do we want them to be there?

2. Despite the doomsaying that is sure to come, public schools will come out ahead when a student accepts a voucher under this bill for two reasons. One, the amount of the voucher is less than the cost to the public school system of educating each child, meaning that extra money is left in the system to distribute to remaining students. Two, the bill provides that each student leaving the public system will continue to be enrolled on the public school's books for 5 years; the district will continue to receive money for the student, even though he/she isn't there. Why? Depending on your perspective, you can call it mitigation money, or you can call it politics. But the point is -- public education comes out ahead.

If anyone can show evidence (not just alarmist rhetoric) that public education does not come out financially ahead with this bill, post your arguments and data in the comment section. If they're valid, I'll amend the bill to ensure that public education comes out financially better with this bill.

3. Far and away, the beneficiaries of this bill will be the poor and middle class. Rich people already have school choice. They live in neighborhoods that typically have better schools. And, if they conclude those elitist public schools aren't working for their kids, they can afford private school on their own.

4. Vouchers foster a public/private partnership. Some complain that vouchers are flawed, because they do not pay the full tuition of many private schools. That funding gap is true. The private sector (e.g., the family or a scholarship granting organization) picks up the rest of the tuition, and the private sector also picks up the cost of the building. This collaboration helps fund education in this state.

UPDATE (1/19/07): a few news articles on the bill. D-News and Trib.