School Vouchers

[BLUEMOM]

The State Senate just passed a school voucher bill that would allow public school students who feel "trapped" in an under-performing school to get a voucher from the public schools district to pay for tuition at a private school of their choice. In Hamilton County that voucher would be in the neighborhood of $4800. This measure has yet to be acted upon by the State House.

 

How would this affect eligibility? I don't know how much tuition is at the smaller privates, but that would be a drop in the bucket for the larger ones. I could see a scenario where a family qualified for 75% aid and with a voucher be over the top of the financial aid limit.

[cbg]

I don't see this passing the full State House. IMO, you would have to allow students that are attending any Tennessee public school to use the voucher system and not just those at under performing schools. Another question would be what you would do with the kids that are already at a private school, would they be allowed to use a voucher? If all of the above did take place you would have to much revenue leaving the State of Tennessee public schools system and the State House is not going to allow that to happen. The state makes money off the Tennessee residents that send their kids to private schools.

[my2cents]

The State Senate just passed a school voucher bill that would allow public school students who feel "trapped" in an under-performing school to get a voucher from the public schools district to pay for tuition at a private school of their choice. In Hamilton County that voucher would be in the neighborhood of $4800. This measure has yet to be acted upon by the State House.

 

How would this affect eligibility? I don't know how much tuition is at the smaller privates, but that would be a drop in the bucket for the larger ones. I could see a scenario where a family qualified for 75% aid and with a voucher be over the top of the financial aid limit.

If it does pass, I could see over about 2 years everyones tuition in Hamilton county for example increase somewhere in the neighborhood of about $4800.

[BLUEMOM]

Way to go cbg! The House sent it to some sub-committee today for further study. It seems they had not considered the all the ramifications thoroughly enough! All 4 large cities were opposed.

[nrgrizzlies]

Our public schools are strapped for money and the solution is to take away MORE money from them and funnel it to rich private schools? Is that like "steal from the poor and give to the rich"??

 

What would "Jesus" say about that?

[BasilDuke]

[ogor]

Our public schools are strapped for money and the solution is to take away MORE money from them and funnel it to rich private schools?

That figure sounds pretty low. I thought we were spending much more on public schools per student - more like $8000-9000.

 

What would "Jesus" say about that?

Edited May 2, 2011 by ogor