School VouchersAn overview of vouchers, what the

government says, and why you should care

What are they?

Usually a piece of paper, or check.

Vouchers direct the flow of educational funding directly to parents instead of school districts.

How do they work?

They allow parents to choose the public or private school they want their child to attend and have all, or part, of the tuition paid.

The money is also used, at times, for tutorial services and to reimburse parents for homeschooling expenses

Why are vouchers supported by

conservatives?They are supported on the belief that parental choice and competition between public and private schools will improve education for all students in both sectors.

Why are vouchers supported by

liberals?They are supported because children who come from low-income families, who can’t afford private tuition, will have the choice of attending a different, or better, school.

Sounds good - what is the problem?

The main issue with vouchers is that most private schools happen to be religiously affiliated.

Under the United States Constitution there is a wall for the separation of church and state.

http://www.capenet.org/facts.html

What do the Judges have to

say?The First Amendment states: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion

There are a few important court cases that relate to vouchers, and money going towards religious schools…

Everson v. Board of Education

In 1947, a New Jersey law that funded student transportation was upheld - regardless of whether or not the school was religious.

The law was upheld because it applied "to all its citizens without regard to their religious belief."

Lemon v. Kurtzman

In 1971, two Pennsylvania laws were invalidated because of “excessive entanglement” with religious school teachers.

The judges established a three part test:Any government action must have a secular purpose;It must not advance nor inhibit any religion;It must not create excessive entanglement with religion.

Committee for Public Education & Religious

Liberty v. Nyquist and

Sloan v. LemonIn 1973, New York and Pennsylvania had laws that allowed public tax revenues to be paid to low-income parents to permit them to send their children to private schools.

The laws in both cases were found to be unconstitutional.

Mueller v. Allen

In 1983, a Minnesota law was upheld that allowed parents to deduct from their taxes expenses for their children’s education.

Parents who sent their children to religious schools also qualified.

Zelman v. Simmons-Harris

In 2002, the Supreme Court upheld a voucher program in Ohio.

The program passed using this criteria:

It had a secular purpose;

Aid went to the parents and not to the schools;

A broad class of beneficiaries was covered;

The program was neutral with respect to religion;

There were adequate nonreligious options.

Why should you care?

It’s your money.

Vouchers can use PUBLIC SCHOOL funding to possibly fund private, religious schools.

Courts are split on major, controversial cases.

Do voucher systems work?

Overall, the achievement of voucher students is not very different

Parent satisfaction is greater among those who receive vouchers.

Graduation rates are higher with voucher students.

What the opposition says…Vouchers take money away from already under-funded public schools.

Private schools don’t have a strong system of accountability

Private schools generally show favoritism to certain students

States with voucher

programs…Maine, Vermont, Florida,

Georgia, Ohio, Utah, Louisiana,

Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia

What should we know?

If a school district, or state, wants to start a voucher program they must consider many things…

The program must pass the five part test laid out by the Supreme Court.

The state constitution must allow it.

Vouchers

They will continue to be controversial for years to come.

There are many issues to consider – always.