Indiana Choice Parent Questions Vouchers for Church Steeples
Guest post by Kate Shively.
The recent post regarding St. Jude's Catholic School/Church's reconfiguration of tuition has brought attention to how the Catholic Schools might restructure their management of the funds being distributed to their schools from the state. As a tax-paying citizen, I have some issues with what was proposed in this post. Also, as a parent and member of the Catholic Church, I also have some serious reservations about this model.
Choice School Family
But, first, I should come clean and forthright - we are a family that has tried them all - charter, vouchers, public, and homeschooling. Currently, we attend a catholic school through the voucher program. Our teachers have been wonderful in terms of listening to our education concerns and helping our children. And our children love their school. But I don't like what I'm seeing happen across the state - not just at St. Jude's. I have to admit; I didn't fully understand the repercussions of what it meant to accept "vouchers" until I actually experienced it. This is not a critique of Catholic Schools or Public Schools - it is a critique of the "system of funding" for all schools.
But, first, I should come clean and forthright - we are a family that has tried them all - charter, vouchers, public, and homeschooling. Currently, we attend a catholic school through the voucher program. Our teachers have been wonderful in terms of listening to our education concerns and helping our children. And our children love their school. But I don't like what I'm seeing happen across the state - not just at St. Jude's. I have to admit; I didn't fully understand the repercussions of what it meant to accept "vouchers" until I actually experienced it. This is not a critique of Catholic Schools or Public Schools - it is a critique of the "system of funding" for all schools.
Summary of Tuition Reconfiguration
If St. Jude's (and other Catholic churches) reconfigure tuition based on what they might receive from the state as a subsidy, the church will no longer have to subsidize the cost of education for Catholic families. In other words, the offerings that the parish community gives every Sunday to partially cover the difference of the discount all Catholic families receive was/is a mission of the
If St. Jude's (and other Catholic churches) reconfigure tuition based on what they might receive from the state as a subsidy, the church will no longer have to subsidize the cost of education for Catholic families. In other words, the offerings that the parish community gives every Sunday to partially cover the difference of the discount all Catholic families receive was/is a mission of the