I hadn’t noticed this article during session, otherwise I would have pointed it out.
But well worth tagging it for reading, since there will be legislators coming back for another attempt next year to strip insane amounts of money from school budgets to fund school vouchers without much thought how that’s going to break the back of local school budgets:
…Arizona’s voucher experiment has since precipitated a budget meltdown. The state this year faced a $1.4 billion budget shortfall, much of which was a result of the new voucher spending, according to the Grand Canyon Institute, a local nonpartisan fiscal and economic policy think tank. Last fiscal year alone, the price tag of universal vouchers in Arizona skyrocketed from an original official estimate of just under $65 million to roughly $332 million, the Grand Canyon analysis found; another $429 million in costs is expected this year.
and..
Advocates for Arizona’s universal voucher initiative had originally said that it wouldn’t cost the public — and might even save taxpayers money. The Goldwater Institute, a conservative think tank that helped craft the state’s 2022 voucher bill, claimed in its promotional materials at the time that the vouchers would “save taxpayers thousands per student, millions statewide.” Families that received the new cash, the institute said, would be educating their kids “for less than it would cost taxpayers if they were in the public school system.”
But as it turns out, the parents most likely to apply for these vouchers are the ones who were already sending their kids to private school or homeschooling. They use the dollars to subsidize what they were already paying for.
The result is new money coming out of the state budget. After all, the public wasn’t paying for private school kids’ tuition before.
Food for thought.
Sounds like when people are given a choice, they flee public schools in droves. Most people, if they could afford the cost, would gladly pull their kids out of the public schools.
I thought the same thing.
Definately true for Arizona. Subpar public schools. The voucher system was touted as forcing public schools to compete and get better but it made them even worse. Perspective – 4th grade Math, AZ is 43rd in the Nation while S.D. is 11th. 8th grade match, AZ is 31st in the nation while S.D. is 6th. Our public school here in S.D. has seen an influx of open enrollments coming in. 49 open enrollments in with 6 out last year. 11 of the kids came in from Private Schools/home schools.
So pay for it yourself.
Did you read the post?
But as it turns out, the parents most likely to apply for these vouchers are the ones who were already sending their kids to private school or homeschooling. They use the dollars to subsidize what they were already paying for.
Talk about missing the point. Good grief.
Somewhere in this comment section, maybe someone should mention the South Dakota Constitution. Seems some don’t realize that our founders created a right that has served us well for over 130 years. Public education for all.
Private options are great too, but the founders recognized what it takes to build a free society for all South Dakotans
Public education has been twisted into social indoctrination. That needs to be addressed.
Better than a private education that has zero oversight. At least public educators have someone to answer to. You want the money? Cool. You can deal with all the regs, too.
I don’t see social indoctrination happening in our South Dakota schools. Talk to your school board or run for school board to address the indoctrination you see in your local school.