State Sen. Anastasia Pittman, D-Oklahoma City (Provided)
A Democratic state senator helped push a school voucher bill out of committee Monday, saying the legislation "gave me pause," but was ultimately best for the kids in her northeast Oklahoma City district.
Senate Bill 560, authored by Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, seeks to give students in the Oklahoma City and Tulsa areas access to parts of their state education funding for use at private schools, with low-income students receiving the highest amount.
The bill narrowly passed out of the Senate education committee with a 9-7 vote, including a yes vote from Sen. Anastasia Pittman, D-Oklahoma City.
"I am the senator that has the homeless children in her district; I have the children in foster care in my district; I have the schools that are failing in my district," Pittman said after the committee meeting.
Republican committee members were split on the issue as some rural lawmakers hold a skeptical view of school vouchers, also referred to as education savings accounts, that would benefit urban students while decreasing statewide funds.
Had Pittman joined the one other Democrat on the committee in voting against SB 560, the bill would have failed to advance.
Four of Oklahoma City's 10 lowest performing schools based on the state numerical grade are located in Pittman's district, which serves a large number of black students.
Some Republican lawmakers have pushed voucher bills in recent years but have failed to find unified support within the party and also face widespread opposition from Democrats.
But while Democrats have largely opposed the idea of allowing a student to use their state per-pupil funds for private education, voucher advocates have found some growing support within the state's minority communities that have expressed frustration with the lack of quality in their public schools.
"A lot of our minority families are desperate for something better, for a change," said Robert Ruiz, a supporter of school vouchers and executive director of Scissortail Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit that works in the Hispanic community.
Ruiz said he understands some want to see statewide vouchers, but he sees SB 560 as a major step forward for urban education.
"I feel like this is a big step because this is primarily the group we are concerned with," Ruiz said. "It would cover a vast majority of people we are concerned with, which is low-income families."
The bill would allow students who qualify for the federal free or reduced lunch program to use 90 percent of their state aid. Students who live in an affluent household would also be able to use a portion of state funds. Those families making over twice the amount to qualify for the lunch program would be capped at 30 percent.
The bill is limited to students living in Oklahoma, Tulsa and Cleveland counties.
Based on the current state-only portion of per-pupil funding, low-income students could use as much as $2,745 to go towards private school enrollment or other educational resources, so long as they are no longer enrolled in a public school.
Critics say the amount is nowhere near enough to enroll at some of the area's top private schools, which can cost tens of thousands each year.
Oklahoma County has at least 58 private schools, according to the website PrivateSchoolReview.com, with an average tuition of $4,733.
However, the bill would only allow funding to be spent at a private school accredited by the Oklahoma Private School Accrediting Council, which includes a smaller list of schools with a potentially higher average tuition.
Because 10 percent of the student aid would stay with the district, supporters say it would raise per pupil funding at a school. But opponents argue taking any money out of the public school system would be harmful.
"This is not the direction we should take," said Sen. Ron Sharp, R-Shawnee, who is vice chairman of the education committee and voted against the bill.
"We need to be properly funding public education ... not watch it die on the vine. All you are doing here is taking funds away from public education and diverting them towards private use."
Committee members raised several questions about ensuring the bill would not decrease funding in rural schools and the impact of federal funding. Standridge said he would address those issues as the bill moved forward. He also told Pittman he would look to include language about students in foster care and with special needs.
Oklahoma already has a voucher program allowing students with special needs to use state funds for private school tuition. The Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program Act survived a court challenge last year.
Standridge said he wanted to see the discussion about vouchers continue to grow, even beyond his specific bill.
"If nothing else, we should continue the conversation," Standridge said.
SB 560 now heads to the full Senate for consideration.
See more here:
Oklahoma City Democrat helps advance voucher bill for urban students - NewsOK.com
