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Current government voucher programs, such as the one in Colorado, attempt to prevent the inequity created by the current crisis in public education…
What are Government Vouchers?
Government vouchers are the equivalent of tuition scholarships given to low income children (those who qualify for free school lunches) to attend private schools at taxpayer expense. But, unfortunately, this money does not come without government strings attached.
1) The Colorado vouchers are only available for “first time” attendees. Children who have already been enrolled at a Christian school are not eligible.
2) Colorado private and religious schools must be willing to accept students on a “first come, first served” or a “lottery” basis, giving priority status to a child only when that child has a sibling in the program, when the child has a disability, or when the child has previously attended an overcrowded, low-performing public school. The new Colorado law does not permit a priority status for children in the church or for children from families whose religious views reflect those of the school.
3) Participating Christian schools must comply with all anti-discrimination provisions in Colorado law and in the federal law. Such anti-discrimination provisions could affect the church school’s ability to hire teachers that will reflect the church’s faith perspective. In some cases, homosexuals may even be included in local, state or federal anti-discrimination laws.
4) Participating Christian schools must comply with all health and safety codes that apply to Colorado public schools. In some cases, such compliance could be exorbitantly expensive.
5) Children who participate in the Colorado voucher program will be required take statewide assessment examinations, even if Christian school students generally are otherwise exempt from this requirement.
6) Tuition for children who participate in the Colorado voucher program will be set by the state, not by the school. The law calls for tuition to be tied to the school’s actual costs of educating the child, which in most Christian schools are relatively low. If the church school’s costs are higher than the cost of educating the child in public school, the legislation sets a certain percentage of the public school cost as the private school tuition. Schools are prohibited from passing any additional expenses on to participating parents.
7) Because of the cost setting provision and because the voucher checks will be issued to the parents, the law will require the school to submit to regular state financial audits.
 Parents who send their children to Colorado religious schools using voucher money will have an option regarding their child’s participation in the school’s religious activities. Without the affirmative agreement of the parent, the child may not be required to participate in the school’s religious activities.
There is no question that when a Colorado Christian school accepts students using government-funded vouchers, the school instantly subjects itself to many different levels of government scrutiny and review. The state government will have the right to interfere with the ministry autonomy of a Colorado Christian school when the school chooses to accept voucher payments. Whether the level of government interference will be unacceptable is a question that each school ministry must decide based on its own beliefs and institutional purposes.
What students are eligible for the Colorado voucher program?
To participate, students in grades K-12 must meet all of the following criteria:
Live in a participating school district and attend a public school for the entire year prior to application. (Currently, only 11 public school districts are designated for participation.)
Students who are already enrolled in a private school or who are home-schooled are not eligible.
Qualify for free or reduced-price school lunches based on various “at-risk” factors and low-income criteria. Students in K-3 must meet other criteria including the requirement that they live near a neighborhood school rated “low” or “unsatisfactory” by the state.
Students in grades 4-11 must have scored “unsatisfactory” on at least one subject on their most recent state academic assessment test.
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Does this about cover what you want, SS??? If not can you give a link?
Cause you keep saying “everyone” gets the vouchers, and no voucher system that has been accepted so far is that broad ranged???
Here’s an idea, FIX THE #@*%ing PROBLEM!!!
The tax game is what started the demise of public education, in the first place!! I went to a school (early 70’s) that was one of the richest school’s in town!! We were also the most, well funded. Our auto shop was a $3 million dollar facility with 12 work bays, two paint rooms, and 3 lifts, the comparable school on the south-side had a 20x20 metal shed with a dirt floor. The class room education was most likely not much of a difference, but the hands on instruction was far superior at our school. The funny part is that our school put out very few mechanics after graduation! Wouldn’t it make more sense to provide this type of education to the students that are statistically, more likely to become mechanics??? If anything the poorer schools should have the best elective training, because most of them will find themselves earning a living using their hands!!!
If education is the states responsibility then each school should be funded equally, to be effective!! All logic and evidence says that poorly funded public schools are producing the highest majority of poorly educated students??? Is this not logical enough for you? Sure the parents in those areas are part of the problem, they give their children the attitudes that almost always cause them to fail as social beings!! Why can’t those parents instill into their children the importance of an education, and make sure they understand that good study habits can be beneficial for them in the future. Because, in most cases they never learned these things themselves, in the low income public school environments they grew up in!!!
I only want to say that this should not be a tax issue. Unless it has something to do with reducing them!! Taxes are taken from every eligible citizen, and are supposed to be used for all societal needs. The public school system is perfect example of bureaucracy gone wild! It is in dire need of a down sizing, house cleaning, and the removal of un-necessary, overpaid executives (much like most corporate entities), who have unnecessary expence accounts, furnish their offices extravagantly, and misappropriate funds for everything under the sun, except educating the students. There are areas that say they spend thousands of dollars on each student (counting the Italian black marble on the floor of some administrators office), yet teachers must fill the void by buying things like paper, so they can get their lesson plan together!?!
The government collects taxes, then it is their responsibility to see to it that the money is not wasted, misused, or extorted (tax breaks, loopholes, and deductions). Once they have figured out the most effective manner in facilitating their citizenry with these programs, pay all the bills, and provide an acceptable military to protect our shores, then and only then should anyone be concerned about getting money back, or more to the point adjusting the percentages so that “ALL” taxpayers would pay less!! What a concept!?! Giving all citizens with children, or because they are already doing well, makes absolutely no sense!!! A loophole or tax break, only means that those funds will have to be covered, from somewhere else??
You sure you are a conservative/republican??? Create a surplus then by all means stop taking so much in the first place!! We can start with the congressional retirement slush fund, and their exclusive health care program! Isn't that what is killing GM and Ford???
Currently our children are learning how to pass "a" test, created by the government? Children across the country sit in classrooms spending hours as their teachers show them how to mark the test answer sheet properly??? Shouldn’t they be teaching them how to learn? You don’t have to know everything, but it sure helps to have the necessary tools, to look it up!!!
Buck S. N.
