Voucher would empower all families

By Greg Hughes, Bill Colbert and Mark Cluff

A recent My View column (Jan. 10) called upon parents, grandparents and citizens to take a hard look at the issue of making education vouchers available for Utah's schoolchildren. We agree that serious scrutiny is needed on the issues facing public education and how we deliver education to children. We are convinced that as we peel back the layers of misinformation and rhetoric, what is left is a powerful argument for increased funding for our public schools and more options and opportunities for all of Utah's children.

As this debate has raged, the misperception that is hardest to overcome is the notion that affluent families are the target of an educational voucher. The opposite is true. The voucher bills in recent legislative general sessions all included means testing — providing families with the fewest resources a voucher in the greatest dollar amount. A voucher would empower all families — but particularly the underprivileged. An existing scholarship program called Children First Utah that targets families whose children qualify for free and reduced lunch is meant to mirror the financial assistance that a voucher would provide. The demand for these scholarships is three times greater than available resources, without any program advertising. We have met some of the families who have benefited from this exceptional opportunity, many of whom struggle with English as their second language, and the excitement and gratitude speaks volumes.

When families choose to send their children to a private school using an educational voucher, it saves public education real dollars, since the voucher would only provide 10 percent to 60 percent of what it would cost to educate their children in public schools. Vouchers would leave more dollars in our public schools. This isn't just a rosy prediction; it is exactly what has been happening over the past decade in the Milwaukee public schools. Many policymakers from Utah have been to Milwaukee and have had the privilege to witness their voucher program firsthand. Only a hardened skeptic would refuse to see how the rising tide has lifted all ships in a town that was once sinking fast.

Another misconception is that public dollars could be spent for "any conceivable private school." Yet closer scrutiny of past proposals would demonstrate accreditation requirements for any private school receiving an educational voucher.

Constitutional arguments about the prohibition of public dollars landing in private institutions are comical when you consider the amount of public funding provided to students attending schools such as Notre Dame and Brigham Young University in the form of Pell Grants. Also, when a low-income family can't afford food, the government will provide them with food stamps or a Horizon Card — a government voucher spent at a private business of their choice. Even traditional public schools pay private schools to help educate special education students.

The reality is that Utah has more children per capita than any other state. The duty to provide an education for Utah's children requires a Herculean effort from all of us. With a projected 20 percent increase in our student population in the next eight years, there are no silver bullets available to accomplish this task. An education voucher program would offer us another arrow in our quiver. We must prioritize the needs of our children over the protection and care of the current status quo. There is an economy for education in Utah. If we empower large swaths of our population with increased educational options, those in the business of educating children will invest their dollars to meet this demand. The time has come to adopt a voucher bill. Join us as we make this a banner year for education and Utah's children.

Rep. Greg Hughes, R-Draper, chairs the House Education Standing Committee. Bill Colbert and Mark Cluff are members of the State Board of Education