| SEARCH OnWEAC |
|---|
An Assembly Republican budget proposal to create a Racine County private school voucher program could cost as much as $25 million annually, according to a Legislative Fiscal Bureau memo.
The expansion of the voucher program into Racine County is one of many key education items in the 2007-09 state budget proposals on which the Senate Democrats and Assembly Republicans differ. |
The memo estimates that, based on the $25 million price tag, the state would pick up 55% of the cost, $13.75 million, and the local property taxpayers would pay 45%, $11.25 million for students to attend private schools.
Under the Assembly proposal, the Racine County private school voucher program would begin in 2009-10. There would be no limit on the number of pupils who could participate in the program. The Legislative Fiscal Bureau reports that the private school voucher program in Racine County would operate similarly to the program in Milwaukee. However, unlike the Milwaukee voucher program, even the wealthiest residents of Racine County would receive $1,000 of taxpayer money to send their child to an unaccountable private school.
Legislative Fiscal Bureau Memo on Voucher Expansion (pdf) [8/2/07] |
WEAC is opposed to any expansion of the private school voucher program, President Mary Bell said. Milwaukee Public Schools have been forced to deeply cut staff and programs, including more than 1,000 positions in the last few years, while property taxes have increased to pay for the voucher program. The private school voucher program has already cost the taxpayers more than $300 million and provides no evidence of student performance.
WEAC believes the Milwaukee private voucher schools program should be accountable to the state's taxpayers as well as parents and the community, Bell added. Accountability measures for voucher schools should be the same that are required of every other school receiving taxpayer funds, she said.
Bell said that currently voucher schools:
Posted August 16, 2007