Respectfully, I donât think you are hearing me.
First, you claimed the cost of the private education was what, about $14,000, right?
Turns out thatâs not true in this case. The cost of this kidâs education is $14,000 +$6,000 for tutoring. And the article doesnât say one way or the other, but in my expereinces, private schools often make these additional expenses known up front and the commitment to using them conditional for enrollment.
So the point is, the people who take the vouchers and send their kids elsewhere - they canât just depend on the voucher to pay their kidâs way. There are tons of other costs with private schools, things that public schools provide for no chare. Tutoring, uniforms, books - my gosh, have you had to buy text books lately? - activity charges, etcâŚ
And if you think private schools donât consider their families ability to pay these add on costs during the admissions process, you are naive.
This passage is the point:
Currently, Vavra pays $492 for tuition after the voucher kicks in. Next year, sheâll have to pay $6,715 after it kicks in. âShe still needs tutoring and so it is a question of how now are we going to afford both of these things? I donât want to pull her out of this school,â Vavra said.
And now, this school is back in line with what studies reveal nationwide. Voucher programs never pay the full cost of private tutition. There are exceptions, most notably parochial schools. So again, point one is reinforced.
Summit is going to be taking public money - and my guess is, this is why they can suspend fundraising. Wealthy families who could likely afford Summit anyway will get their private school educations subsidized.
And the public school, which provides tutoring, books, transportation, handicap accommodations, (both phyical plant accomodations andâŚI foret the termâŚTAs who shadow the kid all day, one to one) is left to educate the kids who canât afford or canât get in to private schoolsâŚThatâs my second point.