Where is the transparency in private school scholarship program?

According to an Iowa Poll conducted in March by Selzer & Co. of Des Moines, the school voucher bill was opposed by 62% of Iowans, while only 34% approved of it. And yet Gov. Kim Reynolds signed it into law. The bill allocated $107 million in this year’s budget to cover private school expenses for the 14,000 students predicted to use the voucher in its initial year. But over 29,000 students applied for private school vouchers, and 18,600 applications were approved, which would cost Iowa taxpayers over $141 million (32% more than what was budgeted).

Among the students whose applications were approved, 40% of them were planning to switch from public to private schools. The remaining 60% of the applicants were students already enrolled in private schools. The state is essentially handing those parents a generous gift to allow them to do what they are already doing.

Odyssey, the New York-based company awarded the contract to administer Iowa’s private school voucher program, has yet to report how many of those families whose applications were approved have actually been able to use the vouchers (that is, were able to find a private school that would accept their student), even though the company received confirmation that vouchers were being used to pay for private school tuition by Sept. 30, two months ago.

Does our governor know the meaning of transparency and accountability?

David Duer

Iowa City