School Vouchers and the Problem of Inequitable Funding

One of the things that truly bothers me about our Anti-Public School Politicians us how they are either ignorant of school law or believe that the special interests that they are beholden to should be above the law.  Take for example public school funding.

Public schools in Texas are funded based on Average Daily Attendance (ADA). I will simplify the math to illustrate what this looks like. If the state sets an annual per student funding rate of $8,500.00, that does not mean that the schools receives $8,500.00 per child. That would only occur of the student attends school every day. The state funds based on attendance.  Using our $8,500.00 example and a 177-day school year, the state funds at about $48.00 per day per child (not the real amount, this is an illustrative example.) If little Johnny is absent ten times this year, he is funded at $8,020.00. This is not a complaint, just a fact of public school life.

Now take the proposed school voucher.  The child with a voucher enrolls in a private school.  The parent takes the (example) school voucher of $7,500.00 and presents it to the private school to cover tuition.  Fine and good if the child attends school every day.  But what if this child is absent?  Does the private school need to return $42.00 ($7,500.00 / 177) for every day this occurs?

If not, this creates two immediate and significant problems. 

Number 1: The private school is now receiving public funds for services NOT provided.  

Number 2: Private schools (which benefit the few) are now provided a more favorable funding mechanism than public schools (which benefit the many).

So, Anti-Public School Politician, which charge do you prefer? Theft or cronyism? Or would you rather fix these two problems by tracking private school ADA and either fund or recapture accordingly?

Except, if school vouchers are to be driven by ADA, that requires the creation of an entire bureaucracy to operate, monitor and audit the program.  And as a small government, fiscal conservative, you can’t be for that? 

Unless your belief really aren’t beliefs, but are instead lies of convenience. 

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/Fundamental5 
• Upcoming Conference Presentations: The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Keynote) 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool)
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Top LYS Tweets from the Week of July 9, 2017

If you are not following @LYSNation on Twitter, then you missed the Top 10 LYS Tweets from the week of July 9, 2017 when they were first posted.  And if you are on Twitter, you might want to check out the Tweeters who made this week’s list.

1. Congratulations to LYSer, Carlin Grammer! He's the new Principal at La Porte High School! Who will be next? (By @LYSNation)

2. The only choice schools vouchers represent is the political choice to disguise a tax cut for those who need it the least. (By @LYSNation)

3. Simple reason for the Texas Legislature divide on school vouchers. Senate: a few rich donors want them. House: normal Texas people do not. (@pastors4txkids)

4. So vouchers aren't really about helping the poor or special education students? Nope. Tax cuts for wealthy? Yep. (By @CFISD_CLC)

5. Do not let pro-voucher politicians tell you they have a conservative policy. They do not. Government expansion into private schools is not conservative. (@pastors4txkids)

6. "The attack on public education in Texas is also about racism and discrimination." (@pastors4txkids)

7. The taxpayer is responsible for the common good of society. We can't pick and choose where we want our tax dollars distributed. (By @bubenny5)

8. Vouchers are about dismantling public education, by starving public schools of adequate resources. (By @LYSNation)

9. Vouchers are yet another way our politicians underscore their belief that teaching is simple and anyone can do it. (By @LYSNation)

10. The Fundamental 5 (Cain and Laird), is the first and best tool to teach in today's accountability environment. (By @kemuvalu)

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/Fundamental5 
• Upcoming Conference Presentations: The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Keynote) 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

You're the First to Know - Fundamental 5 National Summit!

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/Fundamental5 
• Upcoming Conference Presentations: The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Keynote) 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

A Reader Adds... School Voucher Refunds?

LYS Coach, Jeanette Nelson, add another reason for why school vouchers are a bad idea and horrible public policy.

All of these posts addressing the foibles of school vouchers got me thinking about another point.

Let's say a parent takes a school voucher, uses it to go to a private school, and decides after a few weeks or months that the private school is not right for the child. So, the parent goes back to the public school to re-enrolls her child. But wait, the money to educate that child is gone!  Paid to the private school.

Now, can the district charge the parent tuition?  If not, now the public school is educating the child with no (or severely reduced) funding (really bad for public schools).  Or the taxpayer is paying twice to educate the child once (really bad for taxpayers).

Or, can the parent get a refund from the private school?  What if it's only a partial refund?  If yes, then where does the refund go? In the pocket of the parent? Back to the state?

Can the district even accept that money once it has been refunded or can it only be used for another private school?

 
No one is thinking about all this. Least of all our anti-public school, pro-voucher politicians.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/Fundamental5 
• Upcoming Conference Presentations: The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Keynote) 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook