School vouchers will cost Iowans

Vouchers, ESAs, school choice: called many names, but they are one in the same.

If you haven't heard, the Iowa Senate has introduced a bill to bring vouchers to Iowa: SF2091, sponsored by none other than Sen. Mark Chelgren, graduate of Sizzler University.

While proponents of vouchers will tell you that school choice leads to better test scores, improved schools, and lower costs to taxpayers, none of these things are proven. The National Education Association shows that all of these claims actually have the opposite outcomes.

Focusing on cost to taxpayers, if the state implements ESAs, and parents opt to use that money to enroll their child in a different school, the child's 'home district” will not receive that money from the state. However, the expenses of that home school still exist: heat, electricity, water, salaries, etc. Where does that money come from? Property taxes!

If the school receives less money from the state, but still has the same expenses, property taxes will go up. It's simple math. ESAs are wrong for Iowa, bad for Iowa and will cost Iowans more money.

Kate Halter

West Branch