Nov 15, 2007 3:16 PM
Both sides in the voucher debate spent big in Utah’s ballot initiative that voters turned down decisively by a 62-to-38 margin on Nov. 6. Had it been approved, the Parent Choice in Education Act, passed earlier by the state Legislature, would have made a voucher available to any public school child who transfers, giving their parents — including affluent parents with children in high-performing districts — $500 to $3,000 per child, depending on income, to use on tuition at a private school. Both critics and supporters saw the vote as a bellwether for fights in other states.
On the pro-voucher side was Patrick Byrne, the founder and CEO of Overstock.com, an online discount retailer, who donated more than $1.5 million to persuade voters to keep the voucher program. His relatives donated another $1.2 million. Other large donors included the Indianapolis-based, right-wing Milton & Rose Friedman Foundation with $231,000 and the Washington, D.C.,-based Advocates for School Choice with $350,000.
Voucher proponents tarred their critics as tools of the teachers unions and in television commercials attempted to link opponents to liberal groups such as Moveon.org and U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy.
Anti-voucher forces, including the AFT and the NEA, said that most of their donations were in small amounts, proving that teachers across the country care about education everywhere. Utahns for Public Schools had more than 2,000 donors who contributed $200 or less. Parents for Choice in Education, the pro-voucher group, had just 60 donors.
A survey by the Deseret Morning News found that even the top grant of $3,000 would cover less than half the tuition at most private schools while some religiously affiliated schools announced they would not accept vouchers.
Utah has the nation’s largest class sizes and spends less per student than any other state. Voucher opponents said the program, if passed, would cost Utah at least $43 million more than the state would save by not having to pay for students who leave for private schools.
Associated Press, Nov. 1
Deseret Morning News, Oct. 25