Indiana lawmakers passed legislation in 2011 for the Voucher Program. Last year, Bethany joined this program, resulting in several changes to the school.
The Voucher Program redirects educational funding towards families and students rather than schools. This allows families to select a private or public school with part or all of the tuition paid.
Advocates for the program claim that by allowing parental choice, competition between private and public schools improves the quality of education. Pro-Student Choice groups also say that the program will save taxpayers and families money. “If students were given $3,000 vouchers, enough for most private elementary schools, they would be saving the public system an average of $4,000 per year!” commented Voucher Program supporter, Andrew Coulson. Meanwhile, those who do not support the program, flatly contradict such statements. “The ‘choice’ remains with the private schools that will continue to pick and choose the students they wish to accept and reject,” meanwhile “public schools open their doors to all students,” said the Minnesota Education Association, an NEA affiliate. Furthermore, the Minnesota Education Association commented that “vouchers would… limit already tight financing that causes districts to use outdated textbooks, computers and other equipment, to increase class sizes and to scrimp on teachers.”
Whether the Voucher Program is or is not the best path for the future of education in this country is irrelevant to the fact that Bethany is already seeing some of the benefits. Principal Allan Dueck stated that Bethany can better fulfill its mission to be Christ centered and “serve everyone. . . we have simply run out of money in the past.” Last year, Bethany had to put half a million dollars toward tuition aid. This year, Dueck is hoping for improvement.
Bethany has begun to see smaller changes within the community to fit into the state requirements. Participating schools must have an American flag in every room and allow students the chance to recite The Pledge of Allegiance. Bethany has compromised on this issue by giving a moment of silence after morning announcements and by placing a laminated poster including the flags of all the countries Bethany students represent. The faculty and administration chose this compromise because of the school’s foundations in Mennonite and Anabaptist values. “We are called to give full allegiance to Christ its head and to witness to all nations about God’s saving love.” The nation we are to pledge allegiance to is “God’s ‘holy nation.’”
Besides these administrative revisions, the student body will also be experiencing changes. “Its a little hard to predict,” Dueck commented on the effects the program will have on the student body. “We talk in the church about being welcoming to all. but in reality we drift towards people who are like us.” Dueck plainly states. “Are we going to have a hard time integrating students from different backgrounds?” Being a part of the Voucher Program will “make us more diverse, socioeconomically more diverse.” This will certainly benefit Bethany concerning tuition rates and the enrichment of our community. Hopefully, students are able to join this community irrelevant of their socio-economic status. However, “this does not include families that fall below the poverty line.”
The Voucher Program is providing students the opportunity to attend the school of their choice. However, the program does take money away from public education and direct it toward private, non-secular schools. As community members of Bethany Christian Schools, we can see our benefits and feel as though we are “fulfilling our mission,” said Dueck. Though, as members of a broader community, we should also keep in mind the effects the program will have on Goshen’s public schools. “Different kids have different needs” Dueck reminds us. “For every child there is a better or a worse place to be educated.”
~Maddie Gerig