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Nine Lies About School Choice Press Release and School Choice Full Report
School Choice in the District of Columbia
School Choice in the Cleveland, Ohio
School Choice in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin
The evidence directly contradicts claims by some school choice opponents that vouchers have "drained" funds or "slashed" public school budgets. In Milwaukee and Cleveland, for instance, during periods of generally stable enrollment, public school spending grew substantially following the start of tax-supported choice programs.
Since Cleveland's program began in 1996, general operating expenditures for public schools there have risen from $559.6 million to $662.6 million. Per-pupil spending is up from $7,970 to $8,814.
Ohio Department of Education, Expenditure Flow Model Reports.
"Cleveland Public Schools still receive per-capita funds for students enrolled in the voucher program. In 1997, for example, the net revenue received by Cleveland Public Schools exceeded voucher program costs by $118,473."
"Cleveland Schools Profit from Scholarship Program," Policy Note, The Buckeye Institute for Public Policy Solutions, June 1997.
"The president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers said the $5.25 million spent last school year on voucher students (about $3,300 per student when other costs are considered) was money being denied to public schools. But state officials pointed out that the public schools, which spent $6,506 per student in 1996-97, came out ahead because the state funding formula still counted the voucher students in Cleveland's enrollment."
Dorman E. Cordell, "The Voucher Wars," Brief Analysis No. 264, National Center for Policy Analysis, April 29, 1998.
Milwaukee is home to the oldest and largest school choice program for low-income families. Since 1990, spending in the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) has grown from $604.5 million to $968 million. Per-pupil spending is up from $6,064 to $9,417.
Milwaukee Public Schools Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports.
Separate studies by USA Today and at Marquette University found that MPS spending grew at a rate three times faster than enrollment during the 1990s.
"Vouchers enter second decade," USA Today, October 24, 2000; "The Fiscal Impact of School Choice on the Milwaukee Public Schools," Marquette University Institute for the Transformation of Learning, March 1999.
A recent MPS report estimated that if school choice were eliminated and about 10,000 students transferred to public schools, MPS could incur $70 million of added operating expenses and could have to borrow up to $70 million for new facilities.
"Analysis of FY02 Fiscal Impact on MPS if MPCP is eliminated," Milwaukee Public Schools, June 25, 2001.
"Real state aid to Milwaukee Public Schools has grown 55 percent during the years that the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program has been in effect. When adjusted for enrollment growth … state aid per pupil is up 43 percent."
Howard L. Fuller and George Mitchell, "The Fiscal Impact of School Choice on the Milwaukee Public Schools," Institute for the Transformation of Learning, Marquette University, March 1999, p. 2.
" [I]f choice did not exist, Milwaukee Public Schools also would incur added expenses to educate thousands of students who would likely transfer to MPS schools."
Howard L. Fuller and George Mitchell, "The Fiscal Impact of School Choice on the Milwaukee Public Schools," Institute for the Transformation of Learning, Marquette University, March 1999, p. 3.
"During the first nine years of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, Milwaukee Public School's financial situation improved substantially after the program was expanded to include religious schools. Specifically, MPS enrollment rose eight percent while spending rose 29 percent, state aid increased 55 percent and the local tax levy decreased 33 percent."
Howard L. Fuller and George Mitchell, "The Fiscal Impact of School Choice on the Milwaukee Public Schools," Institute for the Transformation of Learning, Marquette University, March 1999, p. 1.
"About $7.1 million went to the Milwaukee private school program in the 1996-97 school year, when 1,650 students participated and payments were $4,400 per student. The union said the money should have been used in the public schools to reduce class size and implement a new learning program. This argument ignored the fact that the district received about $7,500 for each of the students and sent the private schools only $4,400 - giving the district an extra $3,100 for each of the children it no longer had to educate. Thus the public schools had more money per remaining student."
Dorman E. Cordell, "The Voucher Wars," Brief Analysis No. 264, National Center for Policy Analysis, April 29, 1998.
"In the worst-case scenario, state Department of Administration estimates showed that if 15,000 students left the district to attend choice schools, MPS would be left with $900 more per pupil to spend on education.... Expanded school choice could result in substantial overall savings for Milwaukee Public Schools and allow the district to ease classroom overcrowding, three reports presented Wednesday night to the School Board show. A June 28 report by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, distributed to school officials Wednesday night by Gardner, said MPS would find savings in its educational programs 'because these students would no longer be educated by MPS and thus, costs in the district should be reduced....' In addition, board members said the district would not be required to build new classroom space at its current pace, resulting in substantial long-term savings."
Joe Williams, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, September 21, 1995, p. 1.
The evidence here also shows that school choice has not caused public school budget cuts.
"For D and F schools in Florida the federal government authorized supplemental funds. The 78 F schools in 15 school districts will have $45,018,127 available in supplemental funding. The 613 D schools in 57 school districts will have $280,734,600 available in supplemental funding. Florida has also set aside $2,138,191 and $3,576,150 in supplemental funds for D and F schools, respectively."
Florida Department of Education, Tom Gallagher, Commissioner, "Assistance and Activities in Schools With Performance Grade D or F," testimony before the Committee on Education/K-12, February 8, 2000.
"Opportunity Scholarships themselves have no effect on the revenues for public schools. This is because the per student spending in the public school will remain the same regardless of the number of students who use Opportunity Scholarships. In fact, many private schools have tuition below what is currently spent to educate a child in public school. In these circumstances, the funding difference remains in the state treasury and can be allocated to enhance spending on public education . . . . In the two schools that are currently eligible for Opportunity Scholarships, funding has increased to help these schools improve. The Department of Education is providing more money, including a grant of over $87,000 for basic skills programs to help improve learning in the areas where it is needed most: reading, writing and mathematics."
"FAQ's About Florida's A+ Plan," Website of the Governor Jeb Bush, January 14, 2000
Under Florida's A+ Opportunity Scholarship Program, parents of some students at Spencer Bibbs and A. A. Dixon schools in Pensacola (Escambia County) chose to enroll them in other private or public schools. Bibbs and Dixon had been designated as "failing" by the state. As a result of the designation, Bibbs and Dixon received additional state financial aid. With these funds they hired full-time reading and writing specialists. Former Escambia County Schools Superintendent Jim May said, "To be fair, the [Florida] Department of Education has come through with significant contributions. . . to help us through a hard time."
"Schools Hit by Vouchers Fight Back," Education Week, September 15, 1999.
When The New York Times visited those two schools, it found that they had "hired more teachers, reduced class size, stretched the school year by 30 days and added afternoon tutoring."
"Florida's Vouchers A Spur to 2 Schools Left Behind," The New York Times, March 14, 2000.
School Choice Facts
compiled by
The Institute For Justice
and
Marquette University, Institute for the
Transformation of Learning, Office of Research
and
Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation