CLEVELAND — Though there are few publicly funded school voucher programs in the country, there will soon be many more.

That's what experts say in the wake of of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that Cleveland's scholarship program was constitutional.

The court's 5–4 decision on June 27 found that Cleveland's program “is one of true private choice … and is neutral in all respects toward religion.” The state does not sponsor religion when it enables parents to enroll their children in accredited public or private schools, including religious schools, the ruling stated.

“For years, legislatures have tried to avoid accepting hard educational policy issues because they have said that vouchers are not constitutional,” said Mark Chopko, general counsel of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. “Now legislators across the country will have to come to grips with hard educational questions and decide if vouchers help or hurt education, empower or not empower parents.”

Sister Glenn Ann McPhee, secretary of education for the bishops' conference, said that “removing the constitutional barrier [to voucher programs] opened the door to potentially establishing more voucher schools.”

Nationwide Impact

Currently five states offer different models of voucher programs. Ohio and Wisconsin pay tuition expenses for low-income families. Florida provides scholarships for pupils in schools rated as “failing” by the state department of education. In Maine and Vermont, rural towns without traditional public schools pay tuition for pupils to attend public or nonreligious private schools outside their area.

In addition, numerous privately financed scholarship programs, such as the Children's Scholarship Fund, have assisted thousands of students throughout the country.

Since 1972, proposals to establish school voucher programs have failed in Maryland, Michigan, Colorado, California and Washington, according to the National Education Association, which argues that private-school vouchers drain needed funds from public schools.

Teachers unions and groups such as the Council for Secular Humanism also oppose state tuition assistance to parents. In the council's bulletin, John Suarez, M.D., calls vouchers the product of “the radical religious right” that is targeting public education.

Voucher supporters counter this attack and point to improvements in public schools, resulting from increased competition with private schools that accept vouchers.

Sister McPhee said she hopes other states will examine the six-year-old Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program for pupils in kindergarten through eighth grade. This program provides qualifying low-income families with scholarships, capped at $2,250, to public and private schools and tutoring grants to public school students.

About 80% of the scholarship students, which total nearly 4,500, attend 30 Catholic schools in Cleveland, according to Mary Lou Toler, special projects director for the Cleveland diocesan Office of Catholic Education.

These parents “want more than the public school system — an educational environment with faith and values,” Toler said.

“The public schools are not safe … I felt I needed a police escort to take me in and out,” said Johnnie Mae Boone, who enrolled her two children in Holy Name Catholic Elementary School. “[Here], my children are getting a better education. They are learning manners. They are learning basic things about getting along with others.”

This education is also subsidized by parishes, which contribute an average of $894 per pupil, because scholarship vouchers do not cover Catholic school tuition costs, Toler said. Catholics comprise about 43% of Cleveland's Catholic school enrollment.

Cleveland's voucher program has not decreased state funding to its public schools, because the maximum $2,250 scholarship is far below the municipal school district's per pupil cost of about $9,000, according to a consulting firm hired by the Ohio Department of Education.

This report brings little comfort to some voucher opponents. “Cleveland public schools are not failing … they are starving for finances,” said Steve Croom, whose two daughters attend the city's public schools.

Positive Results

The Cleveland scholarship program is evaluated by the Indiana Center for Evaluation, which reported that students enrolled in the program from kindergarten through second grade performed slightly higher than their public-school counterparts. The center's studies also found that families receiving vouchers were more involved in school activities and more satisfied with their children's education than were parents in the city's public schools.

Families in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program also gave high marks to the private schools they chose. Cheryl Bowen, who enrolled her three grandchildren in St. Rafael Catholic School, said, “The teachers there are really dedicated. Obviously, they could all make more money somewhere else. … And the families are more involved.”

Bowen said her grandson “is an excellent reader, does well in math and is learning Spanish.” His achievements illustrate the conclusion of a Harvard University team that evaluated the program and found significant gains in students' reading and math test scores.

The 12- year-old Milwaukee program enrolled nearly 11,000 students from low-income families in private schools during the past school year. About 3,800 attend 34 Catholic elementary schools and five secondary schools, according to Maureen Gallagher, director of Catholic education for the Milwaukee Archdiocese.

Families receive about $5,500 in tuition assistance from the state and cannot be charged for books and fees, Gallagher said. The state caps attendance in the voucher program at 15,000 and requires that students be excluded from religious activities at their parents' request. Most of the Choice Program students are non-Catholics, she added.

Just a ‘Passing Fad’?

Like other voucher programs, the Milwaukee model has its opponents. Stan Johnson, president of the Wisconsin Education Association Council, said that vouchers “cost many students a quality education. Vouchers are just one more passing fad … the educational equivalent of the eight-track tape player.”

The Florida voucher program is more than a fad to Mary and William Cunningham of Pensacola, who enrolled their son at Sacred Heart Catholic Elementary School through the state's A+ Opportunity Scholarship Program.

“He's doing very good academically. I can tell by his progress reports and his attitude toward doing homework and going to school,” Mary Cunningham said.

Florida awards scholarships of about $3,400 to parents with children in schools designated as “failing” by the state Department of Education. The state also gives McKay scholarships to parents with disabled children who are dissatisfied with their progress at an assigned school. More than 5,000 students participated in the two programs last school year.

“Most studies have found that voucher programs … tend to promote more positive parental or families' attitudes toward school,” the Indiana Center for Evaluation reported.

As Johnnie Mae Boone of Cleveland put it: “Parents need to be able to choose what they want for their kids. The voucher program is giving them a better chance. They need this. I sneed it for my children.”

Joyce Carr writes from San Diego.