Vouchers - The Lie of My Money Follows My Child

“All vouchers really do is let my money follow my child.  It finally gives me a choice.”

Such a compelling and seductive lie.  Especially, if you ignore the facts.

Fact One: The typical single family’s school taxes are less than the typical voucher.  Which means that it is not YOUR money following your child. It is OUR money.  And the more school age children in the house, the less of your money is educating your children. It is a bucket load of OUR money that doing the job.

Fact Two: School choice already exists.  People select their home based on schools and school districts.  Within public school districts, schools other than the neighborhood schools can be selected. And other public school districts outside the district of residence will accept children.  So a lot of public supported, public school choice exists.  But even then, if the parent is not happy with the smorgasbord of public school choice, additional options exist. The public just isn’t going to pay for non-public selections.

Fact Three: If the parent gets to choose where the family’s tax dollars go, what about the taxpaying adult without children. Can she choose where her tax dollars go?

And here is where it gets personal.  I don’t have school aged children in my household.  Right now, my wife and I happily and willingly choose to let OUR school tax dollars support the local public schools and the children of our neighbors and fellow citizens.  Change that equation, send OUR public school tax dollars to private schools that openly SEGREGATE and EXCLUDE (as is their right) and I am no longer a happy and willing taxpayer.  And that becomes a problem for my neighbors, fellow citizens and elected officials.     

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