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 Bill
Touts Vouchers for Special Needs Students
by Ronnie Lynn, The Salt Lake Tribune, January 28, 2004
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http://www.bridges4kids.org.
It sounds good:
vouchers for special-needs students to attend private schools
that are better equipped to meet their educational needs.
But critics say it could be a step backward to segregation if
lawmakers pass a bill that would give as much as $5,375 in state
funding to each parent of a special-needs child to help pay
private-school tuition.
Reps. J. Morgan Philpot and Merlynn Newbold unveiled their
voucher bill Tuesday while surrounded by supporters, including
prominent lawmakers and families pressing for the legislation.
Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarships -- named for a
5-year-old autistic boy who inspired the bill -- would be
available to an estimated 52,000 students with disabilities that
range from learning disabilities to traumatic brain injury.
"We know that we have a need, and we have a solution," said
Newbold, a South Jordan Republican. "These are the children for
whom public education is not enough."
Some parents and advocates of special-needs children disagree,
and they worry about losing money for public schools.
"We're struggling for every penny we get for all of our kids,
not just special-ed kids," said Julia Pearce, a West Valley City
mother who sends her 12-year-old son to Granite School
District's Hartvigsen School for students with disabilities.
The sponsors said the bill will leave federal and local funding
in the public school system.
Critics say the bill could undo progress toward including
students with disabilities in mainstream classrooms.
"The fundamental purpose of the [federal] Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act is that kids should not be segregated
on the part of their disability," said Fraser Nelson, executive
director of the Disability Law Center.
State school officials said they worry about segregation, as
well as their ability to oversee the program.
"We'll have to identify the kids, classify the kids, qualify the
schools, cut the checks in the name of individual parents and
investigate any concerns," said state schools Superintendent
Steve Laing.
The vouchers would be payable to parents but sent to the private
schools they choose. The parent would then endorse the voucher
for deposit into the account of the school.
* Private schools would be eligible as long as they are located
in Utah, comply with federal antidiscrimination laws, meet state
and local health and safety codes, disclose to parents the
special-education services to be provided. They also must assess
and report to parents each voucher student's academic progress
annually.
* Eligible private schools also must employ teachers with
"special skills, knowledge or expertise" that qualifies them in
the subjects they teach.
* The state Board of Education may require participating private
schools to have a certified public accountant assess their
fiscal soundness.
* If participating schools fail to sign an affidavit affirming
their intentions to comply with the law, the state board can
deem the school ineligible to enroll voucher students.
* The state board can investigate complaints about participating
schools or parents who fail to comply with rules and can order
parents to reimburse the state if the scholarship was
fraudulently obtained.
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