From Deseret News archives:
Do the math — vote against vouchers
Without Pignanelli's opposition, the mark of accuracy was missing in LaVarr Webb's column "Voters, approve vouchers in November" (Sept. 16). It's important to set the record straight when erroneous information is given.
Mr. Webb said there would be a saving of $1.37 billion cumulatively in 13 years if vouchers are passed. It mistakenly assumes that all students who accept vouchers will transfer from public schools. It will not be so. The most significant block of eligible voucher recipients would be the thousands of future students who would attend private schools even without vouchers and home-schooled students who will transfer to private schools. There will be no savings associated with these students, because they are not currently funded by tax dollars. There will only be costs.
Currently, 3 percent of Utah's students are in private schools, and they do not receive a taxpayer subsidy. The voucher proposal before voters will have Utah paying for all private-school students in 13 years. To make vouchers more politically acceptable, the voucher program is phased in, one grade at a time for 13 years to eventually capture all grades, K through 12.
To get an accurate estimate of the cost of vouchers, voters should carefully read the Utah Voter Information Pamphlet. It contains an impartial analysis that is required by law to be just that — impartial.
This impartial analysis estimates that the Parent Choice in Education Program will cost the state $5.5 million during the program's first year (when only kindergarten students and students moving into private schools are eligible) and $71 million during the program's 13th year when it is fully implemented and all private-school students are eligible for a voucher.
Further, the impartial analysis in the Voter Information Pamphlet estimates that school districts statewide will save $2.4 million to $11.5 million during the program's first year and $11 million to $28 million during the program's 13th year when all private-school students in Utah are eligible.
Voters, do the math. During the first year of voucher implementation, the savings vs. cost of vouchers is uncertain. However, when fully implemented, the Parent Choice in Education Program will cost school districts somewhere between $43 million to $60 million per year. That's the harsh reality for public schools and taxpayers.
Vouchers may or may not reduce class size. The number of teachers per school is determined by the enrollment of the school. If student enrollment goes down by a class size (about 17 to 20 students), fewer teachers are hired to teach in that school. There is no guarantee at all of class-size reduction. With fewer teachers, some class sizes — likely many — may be increased. It's the nature of student/teacher distribution.
Vouchers require Utah taxpayers to fund another school system — private schools. Utah has the lowest funding-per-pupil in the nation, so paying private schools out of tax revenues reduces funding available for education and other needs such as transportation.
Read the impartial analysis of the fiscal impact in the Utah Voter Information Pamphlet, and vote against Citizen's State Referendum No. 1.
Rep. Sheryl Allen lives in Bountiful and serves in the Utah State Legislature.
