Letter: Make better school an option

I am a junior at Xavier Catholic High School in Cedar Rapids. I have had the privilege of attending Catholic schools since I was in sixth grade. Recently, I have noticed a discrepancy between classes at my school, and the other, public high schools in the Cedar Rapids metro area. Namely, I have noticed that Xavier's test scores are higher, and that they send a higher percentage of students to college prepared than the other schools. But why is this, and what can we do about it?

I feel as if every child has the right to a quality education in our nation. I have been abundantly blessed to attend a stellar school. This is because of the financial sacrifice my parents have made to educate me in a Catholic environment. I am grateful that my parents can afford this sacrifice. One thing holding many students back from these excellent schools is the inability of parents to afford this sacrifice. Why should the unfortunate circumstances of these families hold children back from success? It should not, plain and simple.

The cost to educate a student in a catholic school is less than the cost to educate a student in a public school, while producing better results. The state government could not only save money by providing monetary vouchers for private schools, but could also produce better results. It's sad that lawmakers are unwilling to consider this.

Jefferson Daubitz

Cedar Rapids