We Cannot Afford to Fund Two School Systems
Former Nebraska lawmakers urge voters to reject school vouchers
As Election Day approaches, a group of former Nebraska state legislators is asking voters to reject school vouchers.
Specifically, the group is suggesting a “Repeal” vote on Measure 435.
The primary reason cited is fiscal discipline. As the group indicates:
We cannot afford to fund two school systems — both our public system and a private system — especially when one has such little accountability or measurable return on investment. Programs like this have decimated budgets in state after state, and we believe Nebraskans demand more responsible decisions be made with their tax dollars.
Our neighbors in Iowa offer a cautionary tale. Their voucher program resulted in a sharp increase of over 20% on average in private school tuition, a pool of wealthy beneficiaries 60% of whom were already enrolled in private schools, and a massive bill to the state to the tune of $180 million and climbing, eclipsing initial fiscal office estimates and serving as a boon to middleman company Odyssey, which has been announced as Nebraska’s choice, too.
It’s not just Iowa:
Indiana also offers a cautionary tale:
Only instead of $54 million in new money being spent on vouchers, the total cost is expected to exceed $300 million.
The expansion Pence started has effectively created a “voucher school district” subsidized by taxpayers. This voucher district both costs extra state money and takes money from local districts - which means local property tax increases.
In addition to the added expense, the academic results should give Nebraska voters pause:
Researchers examined an Indiana voucher program that had quickly grown to serve tens of thousands of students under Mike Pence, then the state’s governor. “In mathematics,” they found, “voucher students who transfer to private schools experienced significant losses in achievement.” They also saw no improvement in reading.
Voters in Kentucky and Colorado will also consider voucher initiatives on Tuesday:
Kentucky’s voucher scheme is estimated to cost nearly $200 million to start - and if the track record in states like Indiana is any indication, the cost would balloon from there.
In states where vouchers have been tried, they end up costing well more than estimated while also producing results well below what was sold.