Comments on: Capitol Daily Memo: education savings accounts bill unveiled

By: Matthew Piccolo

Matthew Piccolo — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:52:57 +0000

The private school option is one line of an 861 line bill; it seems to be an ancillary part of the bill. Also, it gives authority to the State Board of Education to establish a program that would allow a private school to be involved. I could be wrong, but I doubt the state board would approve any money going to private schools any time soon. It just keeps that as an option if they want to pursue it.

I don’t know exactly how things would play out with this bill because when free market principles enter the picture you can’t predict everything that will happen, but I do think the details (and kinks) would be worked out and the education system would be improved through competition.

By: Goet

Goet — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:20:50 +0000

Sounds like another attempt to bankrupt public schools.

No school will have enough enrollment to justify a physical building and full-time teachers from year to year.

Sports magnet schools would have an incredibly high amount of students registering for a “fitness” class, and nothing else.

Just how does this account for a student taking classes from 2 or more schools? Who is going to transport this kid and assume the liability for all those teens driving around each day? Where do we find the lost hours for transport?

By: JBT

JBT — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:38:48 +0000

“The state would be able to contract with a private entity in the state to provide courses to high school students using ESAs”

This is nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to allow public funding of private schooling. What part of the public’s resounding NO to vouchers doesn’t Dougall understand?