Gov. Huntsman, many legislators speak out in favor of private school vouchers

Intermountain Catholic

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Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.

SALT LAKE CITY — The lobby of the west building of the Utah State Capitol was packed with journalists, legislators, and lobbyists Oct. 17. Leaders of the pro-private school voucher forces spoke in a press conference about why they hope Utahns will vote for Referendum One, House Bill 148, which will provide education vouchers for students to apply to tuition in private schools, sectarian or secular.

Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr., who previously had said he doesn’t want to be "the poster boy" for private school vouchers, made a rare appearance at the press conference to both emphasize the importance of public schools and tout Referendum 1, "The Parent Choice in Education Act," as one way to meet the upcoming flood of new students entering Utah’s public schools, other than raising property taxes, the money from which goes into the general fund to support public education.

Representative Greg Curtis (R), encouraged all voters to get a copy of the bill (You can download a copy by going on the internet to: le.utah.gov/~2007/bills/hbillenr/hbo0148,htm.) and reading it carefully.

"It is a simple thing," Curtis said. "Read the legislation itself with no snippets or sound bytes."

Arriving at the press conference with statistics printed on large charts, Senator Curtis Bramble, who sponsored the Referendum in the Utah State Senate, illustrated how public schools will be affected by the influx of new students expected in the upcoming years.

"So far, (in the voucher debate) there has been little or no discussion of the increased number of students we expect," Sen. Bramble said. "They will make a significant impact on the state’s per-pupil spending, which will have to decrease as the student numbers increase.

"The only way to meet the needs of all the students we expect will be to increase taxes," he said. "We would have to triple the education budget to accommodate for the new enrollees, and the only way to do that right now is to raise taxes."

Fifty-five percent of the state’s property taxes support public education, Sen. Bramble said.

"It’s all about numbers," Senator Sheldon Killpack (R), one of the writers of Referendum 1 insisted. "It’s about math. If you are a senior citizen on a fixed income, and your taxes go to the education budget, you would be looking closely at the math. Some of our senior citizens are paying all the taxes they can afford. We expect 160,000 new students in the coming years, and we have to come up with a solution to meeting their educational needs. If we don’t allow vouchers, what is the solution going to be? Are we to tax our citizens out of their homes?

Representative Brad Dee said he is 100 percent behind public education, "but educating all of the state’s students can’t be done in a vacuum. The needs of our students have been studied. We are 100 percent for public schools, and it has always been our goal to hold education harmless.

"Private school vouchers would not take money from public education," Dee said. "House Bill 148 is written by those who have the greatest stake in public education. It would, instead, help public schools by decreasing class sizes and increasing the teacher/student ratio."

Gov. Huntsman said the value and integrity of Utah’s public schools are of vital importance. "I signed the ‘Parent Choice in Education Act’ into law because I believe it will result in an 18-23 percent increase in public education funding in the state."

The governor expressed his love for public schools and public school teachers, calling them, "people who really care."

All people who care about the education of children in Utah need to get informed about all the issues surrounding Referendum 1, he said, "and do whatever you can to help us meet the education needs of the state’s students."

"We sill continue to work to pass Referendum 1, and I will vote for it because I have looked at the issues, debated them, and am convinced the Referendum gives new opportunities to many of our students.

"It will help those who can least afford choice in education," Gov. Huntsman said, making five specific points why he supports private school vouchers. "Private schools in Utah offer plenty of opportunities for families who can use tuition assistance in the $2,000-$4,000 range.

"Vouchers will offer greater flexibility for parents," he said. "We know some students need a little special touch or approach, and public schools can’t meet every student’s needs."

Private school vouchers would also hold public schools harmless because the greatest number of children would remain in public schools, with only about two -three percent using vouchers to attend private schools, said the governor.

"Vouchers will not drain money from public schools. Instead, they will provide more money for fewer students," the Governor said. "It takes $7,500 to educate each student in the public system. A student may take $3,000 in voucher money to attend a private school, but that leaves $4,500 behind to be used by the remaining students."

The governor’s fifth point was that using private school vouchers to provide students with more educational opportunities would keep the state more competitive. "The technology threshold is getting higher and higher and they call for student’s abilities to be renewed.

"Private school vouchers are only one educational option we are looking at to educate the growing numbers of students we will see in the coming years. All students have different needs, and I believe this expansion of our educational system will serve us all."

In response to a questions from the Intermountain Catholic, Rep. Dee said no state money goes out without strings, and the families and schools who accept voucher funds will be required to account for how the money is spent and whether the schools that receive the funds are fully accredited and able to meet students’ needs.

According to the bill, the schools must meet the student’s requirements and families must meet "income eligibility guidelines."

"Nothing in this part grants additional authority to any state agency or school district to regulate private schools except as expressly set forth in this part," the bill reads.