School Vouchers

tax dollars allocations to non-public schools

School Vouchers: what are they?

Federal funds that enable public school students to

attend schools (private )of their choice
Usually target to low-income families where schools
have been chronically low performing
Types of School Vouchers
SCHOOL VOUCHERS ***allow parents to receive scholarships to send their children
to eligible private schools
EDUCATION SAVINGS ACCOUNTS- create personal accounts that store a childs
state education dollars
SCHOLARSHIP TAX CREDITS-Corporations and individuals make private donations to
nonprofit organizations that provide tax credit scholarships to eligible children
PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS-public schools that receive government funding but
are free to offer innovative curriculum, special incentives for teachers, and
targeted education to children

The Debate

The Debate
Proponents

Allow low income

parents a choice other
than inferior schools
Make the Public school
competitive & RISE to
improve
Eliminate double
payment debate

Opponent

Violates the separation

of church and state
Cause cutting of funding
Private schools still have
the ability to pick who
maybe admitted

The Debate

Brief History
Town Tuitioning Programs

Vermont(1869) & Maine(1873)

1954- Brown v. Board of Education in 1950s and 1960s to oppose decisions, many
southern legislatures passed voucher programs
1955-Milton Friedman economist, private school vs. public schools will create
competition that will lead to increased student achievement and decreased education
costs
1971- Lemon v. Kurtzman - tax dollars could be used in private schools as long it met
Lemon TEST= 1. its purpose is secular; 2. its main effect is to neither advance nor
inhibit religion; and 3. it does not excessively entangle the state with religion
1990s- voucher experiment began in the city of Milwaukee for low-income familiessecular schools & only 1.5% of students
1996- the state of Wisconsin expanded the voucher program to 15% & allowed private
schools ---was contested, but upheld by WI. Supreme Court
2002- Zelman v. Simmons-Harris

Supremes gave green-light-Zelman v.

Simmons-Harris

5-4 decision in 2002 upholding

constitutionality of Cleveland voucher
program.
OKed participation by religious schools.
Religious element is a big part of private
schooling. The decision seems to have
resolved the separation contention that
voucher opponents had long kept alive.

Zelman v. Simmons-Harris opens

floodgates of expansion
2004- D.C. & Utah start own voucher program
*** D.C.*** 1st federally funded program
Texas does NOT have one , but 2015 school
vouchers programs were presented in state
legislation, but little consensus was reached from
the Senate and House

What school leaders SHOULD

KNOW?

21 school voucher programs, comprised of 18 states plus the

District of Columbia and Douglas County, Colorado &
GROWING!!!!
$1.2 billion was spent on school voucher programs
nationwide
Special Needs Scholarship- are being created & adopted for
S.E. students to make private schools more inclusive

What school leaders SHOULD

KNOW?

***Students attending private schools under

the voucher program did no better in reading
or math than their peers in public schools***
Louisiana did worst!!! (44% vs. 67%)***
Studies maybe skewed research on both sides
of the debate.

Vouchers : Today

References
Benning, T. (2015, 20 April).Texas Senate oks school vouchers, but bill faces tough House vote. The Dallas Morning News.
Retrieved from http://www.dallasnews.com
Center for Education Reform. (2016). Explore choice programs. School Choice Programs
Across the Nation. Retrieved from https://www.edreform.com
Essex, N. L. (2016). School law and the public schools (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Gryphon, M. (2003, 4 February).True private choice a practical guide to school choice
after Zelman v. Simmons-Harris. Policy Analysis, 466, 1-15. Retrieved from
http://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/pa466.pdf
Hammons, C. (2002). The effect of town tuitioning in Vermont and Maine. Vermonters for Better Education. Retrieved from
http://www.schoolreport.com/tuitioning.htm
Lohman, J. (2003).Wisconsin Supreme Court school voucher decision. OLR Research Report.
Retrieved fromhttps://www.cga.ct.gov/PS98/rpt%5Colr%5Chtm/98-R-0821.htm
Molnar, A. (1999). Educational vouchers: a review of the research . The Center for Education
Research, Analysis, and Innovation. Retrieved from http://nepc.colorado.edu/files/educationalvouchers.html#historical
School Superintendents Association. ( 2015). The Problems with private school vouchers.
Learning First Alliance. Retrieved from http://www.learningfirst.org/problems-private- school-vouchers