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Vouchers Are Worth It

“Our View: Vouchers prove worthy for families, taxpayers”
Opinion
by Lindsey Brown, John Elcesser and Glenn Tebbe
Indianapolis Star
December 1, 2011

When the new school voucher law took effect earlier this year, calls started rolling in from across the nation. Leaders from other states were interested in our education reform gains and many of them are now working to replicate our model of innovation. At a time when people are increasingly questioning what government can do to improve their lives, Indiana’s voucher program has become the envy of other states and a symbol of hope for thousands of Hoosier families.

Unfortunately, not everyone sees it this way. Some skeptics have suggested that the voucher program will cost the state too much money. But nothing could be further from the truth. Our early estimates show that the new program could end up saving taxpayers as much as $5 million, and those savings will be recognized as the program provides new benefits that include the delivery of more high-quality education options for families and increased competition among all schools.

Numbers recently released by the Indiana Department of Education prove that Hoosier families appreciate this new opportunity. With almost 4,000 students participating in the program, our state now boasts the biggest first-year voucher program in the nation. Almost 85 percent of those students come from low-income families who participate in the federal free and reduced lunch program. Fifty-three percent of voucher students represent minority families.

Parents who have received vouchers tell us that they enjoy their new schools because of smaller class sizes, tutoring opportunities and the one-on-one attention their children get from teachers. They also appreciate that the program holds great potential for improving academic performance in both public and private schools across Indiana. These parents want what’s best for kids and they know that competition will make all schools better as they strive to implement innovations that can attract and retain students.

We applaud state policymakers for their work on education reform during the last legislative session and we encourage them to build upon those gains during the upcoming session. Increased transparency in school funding is vital to the success of all schools in Indiana. Monthly enrollment counts and adjusting tuition payments in real time will ensure that only schools that lose students see a reduction in their funding, and schools that retain and attract students receive more state funding.

Thanks to Gov. Mitch Daniels, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett and our state legislators, Indiana families now have a chance to enroll their children in the schools that meet their unique learning needs. Now it’s time to take the next logical step forward by bringing more transparency to the system. Providing quality education to all Hoosier families is important to the future of our state and the new voucher program can play a vital role in delivering on that promise.

Brown is executive director of School Choice Indiana; Elcesser is executive director of the Indiana Non-Public Education Association; and Tebbe is executive director of the Indiana Catholic Conference.