Help Defend NJ Public Schools

This legislation would divert between $360 million and more than $1 billion tax dollars to private and religious schools at a time when the public schools are struggling after cuts of more than $1 billion dollars last year, with more public school funding cuts expected in this year's state budget.

The public school districts would be responsible for paying to transport children to the private and religious schools, even if those schools are several hours away.

2. We do not need this voucher scheme! 

New Jersey already has an Interdistrict Public School Choice Program that enables all public school students to attend a public school outside their district of residence without any additional cost to their parents. 

New Jersey also has public charter schools that provide options for students in under-performing schools. 

3. This voucher scheme will not work! 

As professor Walter C. Farrell, Jr of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill testified at the February 3rd Assembly hearing: "Studies by those supportive of and opposed to vouchers have confirmed that voucher schools do no better in educating low income children than do public schools -- Most often, they perform worse.  The most recent study of the Milwaukee voucher program that was released last month has re-affirmed these findings, as have studies of voucher programs in Cleveland, Florida, and Washington, DC."

4. This voucher scheme will hurt our children!

This legislation does not apply any educational standards or accountability measures to the private and religious schools that would receive the public dollars. Not only is this in sharp contrast to the intense state scrutiny that public schools undergo, it also could lead to public dollars being used to pay for programs that are harmful to children and violate the moral and ethical standards of taxpayers, such as those that might teach intolerance and bigotry.

This legislation does not require private and religious schools to accept any student who wishes to go, enabling them to pick and choose the least expensive and easiest to educate or simply those of a particular religion, gender, or sexual orientation.

This legislation requires parents of special needs students to sign a waiver giving up any rights to special services if they take advantage of the vouchers.  Students in poor districts are much more likely to have special needs and require such services.

5. This voucher scheme wastes our tax dollars!
The entire $1 billion plus could go to students already attending private and religious schools.  Students from all the districts in the state would be eligible for the vouchers, not only those attending under-performing schools. A family with 3 children could earn $64,475 and still qualify for taxpayer-funded vouchers.  That is more than the annual income of almost half the state!

Once a family qualifies, the taxpayer-funded vouchers keep coming, even if the parents start earning millions.  Up to $50 million tax dollars would go to create and fund a new bureaucracy to oversee this voucher scheme.

Please vote "No" for A2810/S1872 and keep our public schools strong.