Vouchers: Not for all Kids!
When we think about educational improvements made by the legislature, we would hope those improvements would be for all kids and not a select group of kids.
This year, Senate Bill 1647 would have provided tax dollars for kids to attend private school. I have never thought vouchers were something that would improve education. Vouchers, or “educational savings accounts” as some have dubbed them, are our tax dollars being redirected to pay for part or all the tuition for people who want to send their child to private school. I’m not sure why some in the Oklahoma Senate believe that having vouchers are so important. According to a poll of Oklahoma voters in March 2022, 68% of urban voters and 65% of suburban voters were opposed to public money paying for private school tuition.
The very same poll results also found that 59% of Republicans and 86% of Democrats opposed public money paying for private school. I remain mystified as to why the State Senate leadership and the Governor want to use public funds for private benefit.
The legislators and dark money groups leading the charge for vouchers claim they only want to help students in failing schools. But, have these antipublic education activists even consulted private schools to assess their desire to take on these publicly funded students? Do private schools have the facilities to grow and are they able to hire the faculty they will need to best educate and serve all students?
These questions demand answers—and, for the record, major Oklahoma private school and homeschool leaders have made it clear that they do not want to accept public funds. So, the question of doubtful motive remains. For me there are two reasons funding private schools with public dollars is
For me there are two reasons funding private schools with public dollars is wrong. The first is accountability. The bill does not have any provisions for parents
The first is accountability. The bill does not have any provisions for parents who receive these public dollars to be accountable for how they are spent. The Epic Charter Schools debacle is but one of a number of examples in which the intent of public funds being redirected was not met and in which those funds were abused. I, and most Oklahomans, are against giving our tax dollars where there is no accountability.
The second reason is this is not for all Oklahoma kids! Rural kids who do not live close to a private school would never be able to have this option and are left out. Low socioeconomic kids in urban areas who could receive these tax dollars for a private education still would have to fund the cost of transportation to that private school and if they want to participate in extracurricular activities, then that is an extra cost to the parent.
If we have failing schools and want to help those kids, then fix the school and not take away financial resources and force students to leave their communities for a quality education.
My concern is that public dollars given to parents for a private education under Senate Bill 1647 would go to families who currently have kids in private schools. The estimated cost of the bill is between $116 million to $184 million dollars depending on how many apply for this program
Ṫhe voucher bill failed in 2022, but they are backed by powerful Washington, D.C., dark money groups and activists who seek to influence and interfere in Oklahoma policy and politics. We should remain vigilant in protecting public funds and in preserving Oklahoma’s public education system.
Bill Seitter
Retired Educator