Central schools opt out of voucher program
Central schools won’t be offering vouchers to children in lower-performing public schools in other school districts to attend Central schools this fall, the Central School Board decided this week.
In a letter to the board sent last week, Central Superintendent Michael Faulk recommended rejecting participating in the state’s voucher program because the school system is opening two new school buildings, shifting its grade configurations and making a number of other changes in the 2012-13 school year.
Faulk also offered a more basic reason.
“Our school system was begun because people in our community wanted to have local control of educating children in this community,” Faulk wrote. “Allowing students to transfer in from outside the community would undermine that belief.”
Board President James Gardner said the board wholeheartedly supports Faulk’s recommendation.
“If he hadn’t, we’d have told him, too,” Gardner said.
Five of Central’s six schools have “A” or “B” letter grades — Central Middle is the only C school — and consequently can accept children from
“C,” “D” and “F” schools in neighboring public school districts.
Under legislation passed this session, some students who attend “C,” “D” and “F” schools would be eligible for state aid to attend private and parochial schools.
The deadline for schools, public and private, to say whether they are going to participate in the program, officially called a scholarship program, is Friday.