Will voters decide on vouchers?

Less than 24 hours after the Legislature adjourned, opponents of the school voucher program applied for a referendum petition that could land a final decision in the hands of voters in the next general election.

Utahns for Public Schools, a group formed to head up the task of gathering nearly 100,000 signatures — 91,998 to be exact — in the next 40 days, filed the application asking Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert to consider their cause.

"This is so important that the people in this state should get to vote on it," said Pat Rusk, former president of the Utah Education Association. "We are going to make sure that the citizens of Utah get to decide if they want their tax dollars going to private schools."

Rusk, one of six whose signatures appear on the application, said the group is made up of thousands of concerned residents and has a "high hurdle" to get that many signatures in so few days. "But we are going to make it our lives until it is accomplished."

The voucher program, formally called the Parents for Choice in Education Act, would give Utah families private school tuition vouchers ranging from $500 to $3,000 per student depending on income. Lawmakers passed the measure, dishing out $12 million to get it started, and the governor signed off on the deal.

Supporters of the referendum believe the money could be better spent making necessary reforms in public schools, including decreasing class sizes and bolstering the quality of Utah teachers.

Nancy Pomeroy, spokeswoman for Parents for Choice in Education, said the referendum was not unexpected and that "greed" is the underlying motive.

"It's the parents and children versus unions and educrats," she said.

However, opponents of vouchers say it isn't about the money, as public education was awarded more than ever before, receiving nearly $500 million in extra funds this year.

"I don't expect a tax break to recoup some money for a private choice," said Granite School District Board President Sarah R. Meier, another who signed the application. She compared the idea of public monies going to private schools to buying books that are already available at public libraries, which are funded by tax dollars.

"I believe it's a bad philosophy for a private choice," she said.

A third signer was Jeanetta Williams, president of the Salt Lake Branch of the NAACP. She said the organization made the decision to oppose vouchers to avoid potential segregation in schools in the future.