D.C. voters oppose vouchers
12/24/02 - More than three-fourths of voters in the District of Columbia say they oppose private school vouchers, according to the results of a poll released by NSBA Dec. 10.
Eighty percent say they would expect any private school that accepts taxpayer-funded vouchers to be held publicly accountable.
The poll of 603 District of Columbia adults was conducted by NSBA for Zogby International.
The results reveal District of Columbia voters' views on an issue that is expected to receive renewed attention in the 108th Congress. Legislation to enact a voucher program in the city was introduced in the 107th Congress but didn't pass.
The poll found that 76 percent of District of Columbia voters oppose "giving taxpayer-funded vouchers to parents to pay for their children to attend private or religious schools, if that means less money for public school students." An even higher percentage of African-American D.C. voters (85 percent) oppose vouchers.
D.C. voters' expectations of public accountability for the spending of public dollars is especially pertinent given the recently enacted bipartisan No Child Left Behind Act, which holds all public schools accountable for meeting high standards.
"Voters in Washington, D.C., do not want their education tax dollars deposited in private schools that are not accountable to them," says NSBA Executive Director Anne L. Bryant. "Voucher programs are a U-turn on the road to public accountability for publicly funded education."
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| Reproduced with permission from the Dec. 24, 2002, issue of School Board News. Copyright © 2002, National School Boards Association. Opinions expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect positions of NSBA. This article may be printed out and photocopied for individual or educational use, provided this copyright notice appears on each copy. This article may not be otherwise transmitted or reproduced in print or electronic form without the consent of the Publisher. For more information, call (703) 838-6789. |