Most legislatures across the South are now in full swing, with many actively working to establish universal vouchers in their states, while others are expanding existing voucher programs.
Vouchers were instituted in the 1950s and 1960s by Southern governors to thwart mandatory school desegregation. The rise of private schools in the South and the diversion of public funds through vouchers was a direct response of white communities to desegregation requirements.
Today private schools stand to gain millions in subsidies with the renewed movement, which is orchestrated, well-funded and has Republican governors often leading the charge. These bills are moving along in the face of organized and vocal opposition from local school board members, superintendents, and county councils, particularly those in rural districts. And they are opposed for good reason.
About 25% of school districts in the South are classified as rural, and their schools have been anchors in their communities for generations. They often serve as the largest employer, and teachers and staff live, worship and shop alongside their students and families. Rural communities use schools as gathering places – for voting and meetings, graduations and homecomings, but also for crises like natural disasters and tragedies.
Children attend the same schools as their parents and grandparents, making them places filled with meaningful rituals and traditions. Rural superintendents and principals are community leaders who are influential and trusted voices. That’s why rural educators are leading the charge against the expansion of vouchers. They know that their students are least likely to benefit, and also have the most to lose.
Rural schools have very little margin in their budgets, relying heavily on state funding due to scarce local revenue. The loss of even a small number of students to vouchers in a small rural district can create very challenging constraints, leaving district leaders to make impossible choices to cut essential programs or let salaries stagnate, pushing teachers to more affluent districts that pay more. And, in states with vouchers, the growth of these programs has a direct impact on the total amount of funding the state makes available for schools.
Vouchers have been in place long enough for us to have access to rigorous studies on their effects on student outcomes, and the news is not good. Most of the proposed voucher bills today do not include student testing or public reporting in order for the public to understand if the program is working, or if it is a good use of public dollars. This transparency must be part of any voucher legislation, and the public has the right to know how well students are faring, but also if the economic trade offs will be worth it as state budgets are reduced as voucher costs grow.
Universal and unlimited vouchers are the goal in southern states, but Arizona and Florida are cautionary tales, with costs spiraling out of control, and rainy day funds and state budgets being tapped in dramatic fashion. There is a consistent theme in states with universal vouchers – money for public schools is reduced as hundreds of millions of dollars flow to private schools. In fact, 70% of universal vouchers in other states go to families already enrolled in private schools, with taxpayers across the state footing the bill for an entitlement for wealthy parents. At the same time, rural families have very limited access to private schools, making voucher programs out of reach for many of them.
My home state of Tennessee plans to offer a voucher of over $7,000 per student, which is often far less than what they send a district to educate that same student. This perverse incentive sends a disturbing message to rural families and educators – we’d rather give you more money to take your child out of your local public school than we will to fund them to stay, and to make sure your local school can thrive.
It is in this environment that we decided to launch Southerners for Fair School Funding, with the goal of making the case for improved public school funding in the region. It is the single most important investment our country can make, and that is truer than ever in our rural communities, where stagnant wages and persistent poverty can only be addressed through a strong and well-funded public education system. Our state leaders in the South have an obligation to help all children thrive, and we are encouraged by the movement across rural communities that is demanding that their schools are funded and supported. Their voices are more necessary than ever.
Gini Pupo-Walker is the Executive Director of The Education Trust – Tennessee.
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