The Douglas County School District approved a controversial
proposal to dedicate public education dollars to private schools.
The board on March 15 voted unanimously to approve school option
certificates, similar to school vouchers, in its school choice
proposal.
The decision earmarks a pilot program for public funding of a
private education for up to 500 students in the 2011/2012 school
year. In tandem with the decision to approve vouchers, the school
board also approved a motion to create a school choice legal fund
to defend its decision. The legal fund is set aside for donors
interested in contributing toward legal costs related to the
program, according to the board’s motion to establish the fund.
The school board put vouchers on the table last summer with a
school choice task force that proposed expanded educational options
in the district. At first calling the vouchers school choice
certificates, the board eventually settled on calling the vouchers
“scholarships,” with up to 500 scholarships available to eligible
students in the pilot year.
The program gives parents the option to take their annual
state-issued, per-pupil-funding and spend the money at a partner
private school, including participating religious campuses. Private
schools will be expected to sign a contract with the school
district to qualify as a partner school.
The board’s decision came after months of public hearings,
during which district residents spoke for and against the decision.
Board members broke their silence about the proposal, calling it a
bold, innovative decision on the part of the district.
“It’s time for more choice, competition and innovation,” said
John Carson, school board president. “Our children deserve a new
approach. We value opposing viewpoints, but I believe any good idea
must be able to withstand criticism. To succeed we must be
daring.”
Opponents to the proposal promised a backlash to the board’s
decision. Representatives of the Taxpayers for Public Educations
displayed signs during the hearing that decried the board’s
decision. In the absence of an open dialogue with the board during
five months of public hearings, residents were frustrated by the
push for vouchers.
“Our group is really disappointed that we have not had a voice
in the decision,” said Susan Zloth, Taxpayers for Public Education.
“This is a political ploy by the board. We are pursuing a recall
election in 2011.”
Zloth displayed handwritten signs during the hearing that
included messages such as “Vouchers = Every Child left Behind,” “No
Bailout for Private Schools,” and “How many votes does it take for
a recall?”
The answer to the last question is 18,000, Zloth said.
The board’s scholarship proposal already resulted in a few
parents exercising their rights to express their opinion with
“civil disobedience,” said Christian Morreau. Morreau and his wife
opted to hold their kids out during CSAP testing in protest against
the voucher proposal.
“There are a number of groups getting organized,” Morreau said.
“We will withhold our kids from CSAP until the district stops
giving away taxpayer money to private education.”
The school choice proposal is available to view online at the
district’s website at www.dcsdk12.org.
