Pennsylvania Student Vouchers
Senate Bill 1 – A Further Drain on Public Schools
There has been considerable media and public attention paid to the issue of “school choice” and education “reform” in Pennsylvania. Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), passed by the Senate in late October 2011 would provide tuition vouchers – euphemistically known as Educational Opportunity Scholarships – for students who wish to attend private and religious schools and give those schools the “choice” about which students they will accept.
If it becomes law, as much as an additional $1 billion of taxpayer funds could be taken from Pennsylvania’s public schools over three years and used to pay tuition for students to attend private and religious schools that are not accountable for results. That would be a further drain on the resources available to educate the vast majority of students across the state, especially as the legislature considers further budget cuts which could bring the total to nearly $1 billion.
Let your opinion count. Contact your local PA state legislators to tell them what you think.
