115 private schools approved for scholarship program
July 13th, 2007 - Posted in Education, ScholarshipState Board of Education members have approved 115 private schools to participate in the first year of a scholarship program for disabled children —- slightly more than the 100 campuses that participated in the start of a similar program in Florida.
Principal Kim Wigington is thrilled her small, three-year-old campus —- located in the Sunday school classrooms at a Baptist church in Acworth —- will be among the first to accept scholarship students. She’s already admitted more than a dozen voucher hopefuls and has room for at least 15 more.
“It’s always been our dream that kids could go here and not pay a whole lot in tuition,” said Wigington, founder of The Language School at Christ Mission, which costs $12,600 a year and is geared toward students with learning disabilities.
State lawmakers passed a bill this spring to create the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship, the state’s first voucher program. Modeled after a seven-year-old state scholarship in Florida, it will allow disabled public school students in kindergarten through 12th grade to use taxpayer dollars to at least partially pay for private and religious school tuition.
Through the program, parents of students who attended public school in Georgia this past school year and received special education services may apply for a tuition voucher. They also may request a transfer to another school within their current public school system or a neighboring system. But most are likely to seek a spot at a private school.
Board members Thursday unanimously agreed that the private schools —- which include such prestigious and pricey campuses as Woodward Academy in College Park and The Paideia School in Druid Hills —- would be allowed to accept scholarship students this coming school year. Only campuses on the state-approved list will receive scholarship payments from the Georgia Department of Education.
“I was pleasantly surprised so many people will provide these services,” State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox said. But, she added: “I don’t ultimately know if that means they will have [scholarship] students.”
Although more than 3,300 families have expressed interest in the scholarship, it’s unclear how many will be able to take advantage of it. As many as 400 applications already have been rejected because the students were either schooled at home or attended private school this past year. In addition to meeting the eligibility criteria, children must be accepted, enrolled and attending a new school by Sept. 10 to get the voucher.
State officials have warned parents that they will have to make their choices wisely. Even though the schools have been approved by the state, they are not required to provide special education services similar to what the child received in public school.
“Choice is a two-way street,” the program’s sponsor, state Sen. Eric Johnson (R-Savannah), said earlier this week. “We’re providing them the choice, but it will be up to them to exercise that choice with discernment and wisdom.”