State making rules for vouchers
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Thursday, March 8, 2007 | 
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No Comments [ Add Comment ]By Lynze Wardle
Standard-Examiner Davis Bureau
lwardle@standard.net
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By Lynze Wardle
Standard-Examiner Davis Bureau
lwardle@standard.net
» Story View
By Lynze Wardle
Standard-Examiner Davis Bureau
lwardle@standard.net
SALT LAKE CITY -- Guidelines are being crafted for a new law that allows Utah parents to use tax dollars to help pay for private school tuition.
Parents should be able to apply for the tuition vouchers by July, said state education specialist Travis Rawlings. The amount of the vouchers vary between $500 and $3,000, said Utah Office of Education spokesman Mark Peterson, depending on parental income.
The USOE expects to hand out between 2,500 and 3,000 tuition vouchers for the 2007-08 school year alone, Larry Shumway, state director of educator quality and licensing, said.
The voucher program was created this year by a bill sponsored by Rep. Steve Urquhart, R-St. George. Since the measure was approved, state education officials have been working "around the clock" so that parents can receive vouchers in time for the next school year, said Carol Lear, director of school law and legislation for the USOE.
On Wednesday, State Board of Education members debated a rough draft of the voucher program. Member Debra Roberts said members will spend the next few weeks refining the policy, and plan to bring it to the board for final approval in May.
According to Wednesday's draft, students must have one parent who is a Utah resident to receive a voucher. They must also be able to prove that they are school-age and have been accepted at an eligible private school. Parents also must list income and household size and provide a signed affidavit stating the information is correct.
Board Member Debra Roberts said the strict accountability measures help reduce the need to audit parents who receive the vouchers.
"Our job is (insuring) integrity," she said. "If we can increase the likelihood of getting honest information up front, then we decrease the number of captures."
Private schools will also have to meet a list of criteria before they will be allowed to accept the education vouchers. Schools will likely have to assess all students' achievement annually and agree to publish the results. They must also have emergency response plans, and train personnel to deal with fire drills, natural disasters and other safety issues.
"The last thing you want is for a school to burn down and have children injured because we weren't checking it like we should," Shumway said.
A list of participating private schools is expected to be ready by July 1, Rawlings said.
At least one Top of Utah private school administrator has been upset by some of the controversy surrounding the voucher program. Layton Christian Academy founder Rev. Dr. Myke Crowder stated in a news release that despite rumors to the contrary, public schools will benefit from the program.
The program will help reduce class sizes in the public schools, he said, and it draws from the state's general fund, not education coffers.
The vouchers will also benefit families who would never be able to otherwise afford private education, he said. Tuition at the Layton Christian Academy alone costs approximately $3,900 per year, he said.
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