Senate committee backs school voucher program

House Bill 1003, which would expand the existing school voucher program, passed 8-4 out of the Senate Education Committee last week. The Monroe County Community School Corporation board unanimously passed a resolution at its last Tuesday trustees meeting pleading with legislators not to pass the bill.

“The MCCSC School Board of Trustees urges all legislators, but especially those from south-central Indiana, to vote against HB 1003 in order to preserve and promote quality education in the State of Indiana’s public schools, especially that which occurs daily in the MCCSC schools,” the resolution stated.

The Indiana Supreme Court also voted 5-0 last week to uphold the constitutionality of the voucher program.

MCCSC board member Sue Wanzer said she is very disappointed with the actions taken by the education committee. The MCCSC resolution stated HB 1003 will increase funding for private schools by about $21 million.

During the recession, the corporation had an unexpected cut of $5.8 million, which was offset by an MCCSC taxpayer referendum.

“The Corporation is opposed to the passage of HB 1003 and any expansion of the Indiana school voucher program because the voucher system diverts funding from MCCSC without regard to the quality of MCCSC instruction,” the resolution continued.

Wanzer said the board hoped the state would create a study committee to evaluate the efficiency of the program but is now assuming this will not occur.

Wanzer said she will continue to work to combat the bill. She is currently involved with the Indiana Coalition for Public Education’s South Central group, which is conducting a letter writing campaign. She also works to relay information from the ICPE to the
MCCSC board.

Wanzer said it is important to provide quality public education so parents don’t feel the
need to enroll their child in another school.

Wanzer does not see any middle ground in the situation and said using taxpayer money for private and parochial schools goes against the Constitution.

“I’m totally, 100 percent against vouchers,” she said.

Phillip Harris, executive director for the Association for Educational Communications and Technology, said the voucher system undermines public education and segregates schools.

“In general, the legislation is bad public policy for public education,” he said.

He said the program is an effort to privatize as many of the government’s social services as possible.

Harris said former Gov. Mitch Daniels got the voucher program passed by claiming children in large urban schools had no choice in their education.

Harris has also been involved with the ICPE and has written letters to the Bloomington Herald-Times and state legislators expressing his opposition.

He doesn’t see any compromise on vouchers but said he would favor the alternative solution of opening public charter schools.