COUNTERPOINT: 'School choice' equals vouchers

Guest column by Loren Paul

Last week, Americans for Prosperity South Dakota’s State Director, Keith Moore, urged lawmakers to “expand school choice by restructuring the flow of school funding to follow each student instead of tying it to individual schools or school districts.” To be clear, Mr. Moore is advocating for vouchers that redirect scarce funding from public schools to unaccountable private schools.

What would vouchers mean for South Dakota’s schools and families? There are some communities where families may have an education “choice” other than the local public school, but there are thousands of students living in rural areas without other options. These students and families would see no benefits from any type of voucher program. As a matter of fact, they may have the most to lose, including their local public school. Rural schools are already strapped for cash. Should lawmakers decide to divert tax dollars from public schools to private schools, some of these schools may not survive leaving those students and communities without a school at all.

POINT: School Choice Week renews hope for education in South Dakota