As an “At Large” member of the School Board, I will not support school vouchers or tax credits for private schooling.
Funding for school vouchers and tax credits should supplement funding for public education, not supplant it. Funding for public education should be sufficient to meet federal, state, and local government mandates and applicable accreditation, quality, and learning standards, while also allowing school boards to be innovative and responsive to constituent needs.
If this were the case now, I could support school vouchers and tax credits that provide to more parents a wider choice of options for educating their children. But this is clearly not the case now at both state and federal government levels. If someone can present a convincing business case for school vouchers or tax credits for private schooling that assures adequate state and federal funding for state and federal mandates placed on local public education, I will reconsider my position.