Ind.’s new private, parochial school vouchers start slow

Since its passage in May, school voucher legislation HEA 1003 has gradually been implemented across Indiana and in Bloomington.

The program appropriates state funding typically given to public schools and distributes it to families who wish to enroll their children in private or parochial schools.

Statewide, parents have applied for 3,685 of the 7,500 vouchers allotted this year, said Indiana School Superintendent Tony Bennett.

Next year’s number is capped at 15,000.

In the third year the cap will be removed.

The Sept. 16 enrollment deadline is fast approaching, and so far a total of 14 voucher students have been accepted to the four Bloomington private schools in the program.

There are none for St. Charles Catholic Schools, three for Clear Creek Christian School, five for Pinnacle School and six for Lighthouse Christian Academy.

While St. Charles has received inquiries, none of the applicants so far have qualified, St. Charles Principal Alec Mayer said.

“I don’t expect any (voucher students) this year only because the final set of rules came so late,” Mayer said.

Mayer said he supports the program and its goal to give parents the right to choose their children’s educational facility.

However, Mayer said he does not expect many voucher applicants next year, either.

“Public schools are great schools,” Mayer said. “Parents are pleased with MCCSC schools, so why change?”

Teresa Meredith, vice president of the Indiana State Teachers Association is a plaintiff in a lawsuit against the voucher program.

Meredith said she hopes that satisfaction is the reason for the low numbers so far.

“We don’t know if people don’t know about it or if they’re happy and content and so haven’t sought the vouchers,” Meredith said.

However, she said she believes when the cap comes off, the program could be a serious concern if a large exit occurs.

After $600 million in cuts to education during the last two years, “we can’t afford to have any more siphoned off,” Meredith said.

Mayer said he doubts the program will take much money from public education unless a flock of students seek vouchers.

Besides noting the low number of voucher students in Bloomington, he added that while money might be taken away, public schools “are not getting the student, either.”

In order to accept voucher students, the schools must comply with the program by becoming state-accredited and administering ISTEP tests.

Lighthouse and St. Charles have long used the tests.

Pinnacle and Clear Creek Christian complied despite some objections to ISTEP testing.

“I’m not a fan of ISTEP, but I don’t want that item to get in the way of the voucher system,” said Penny Adams, Clear Creek Christian principal. “It certainly gives parents choices.”

For a student to be admitted to Lighthouse Christian, at least one of his or her parents must be Christian, enrollment coordinater Donna Wilson said.

St. Charles gives Catholics priority, but 15 percent of students are non-Catholic, Mayer said.

Clear Creek Christian accepts any student if their parents want to enroll them, regardless of religion, but let all know up front that the school is religious, Adams said.

Meredith describes herself as deeply religious and not against private schools,.

However, she said she doesn’t believe using money from the common school fund for private institutions is appropriate.

She said she thinks the program violates the Indiana Constitution.

“You can’t evangelize with state dollars,” Meredith said.

Indiana University’s Center for Evaluation and Education Policy recently released a policy brief with analysis of the voucher program and recommendations.

The report found that legal pitfalls can be avoided if state treasury money is not put directly into private institutions.
 
The money has to be given to families to make a private decision about which school to pay.

The report also recommends the establishment of a “neutral entity to gather information on the performance of schools and their unique cultures in order to help families navigate school choice options,” according to a press release.

The Monroe County Community School Corporation will not have information regarding the program’s impact on its school system until late October, said Donna Zink, executive assistant to Superintendent Judith DeMuth.