Earlier this year, St. Paul Catholic School in St. Petersburg planned to keep its tuition about the same — $7,000 a year for families who weren’t members of the church.
But then Florida lawmakers approved the biggest school-voucher giveaway in American history — one that promises vouchers worth around $8,000 to every child in the state, regardless of income or need.
So, as the Tampa Bay Times reported, the church school did some re-calculating and decided that, instead of leaving their tuition at a price that would be fully covered by the vouchers, they would jack up tuition to $12,000.
Talk about pennies from heaven.
The Times cited a YouTube video the church put up (and later took down) where Monsignor Robert Gibbons said the church “decided that we need to take maximum advantage of this dramatically expanded funding source … Otherwise, we would be negligent.”
A Florida school raised tuition because of vouchers. Will more follow?
Hmm. Imagine walking into an appliance store and asking the owner how much a toaster oven costs.
The store owner responds: $50.
You say: “How perfect! I happen to have a gift certificate for $50!”
Owner: You do? Oh, well then the toaster now costs $85.
You: “Wait, why?”
Owner: Because you have an expanded funding source. To charge you less would be negligent.
You can bet this won’t be an isolated example. It seems clear: The cash grab is on.
Not only will more schools jack up their prices now that they know they can bill taxpayers for hefty chunks, more private schools will set up shop just to cash in. Especially because, in Florida, it’s easy to open a school, regardless of whether you’re qualified to run one.
Fiscal watchdogs and voucher critics predicted this cash grab would occur — that schools would raise tuition, pricing out some of the very families that voucher advocates claimed they were trying to help. Democrats even proposed some checks and balances to prevent schools from doing just that, but Republicans rejected those safeguards.
Previously, only a fraction of the 300 students at St. Paul’s in St. Pete received vouchers. This year, the Times reported, the school was urging every student to seek one.
It’s possible the church school was previously running at a deficit as a service to its community and congregation and that the increased rates will just allow it to cover its costs and pay teachers more. But you have no way of knowing, because, even when tax dollars are the primary funding source for a private school, Florida lawmakers let those schools hide most of the details about their spending and operations.
That lack of accountability and transparency is also why more schools will certainly sprout up in the coming years to cash in on these vouchers — because voucher schools truly are, as the Sentinel has been reporting for years now, “Schools Without Rules.”
While public schools must hire teachers with degrees and certifications, be financially solvent, disclose their graduation rates, serve all students and let the public know what curriculum they use, voucher schools don’t have to do any of that. Nor do state officials check to see what’s going on.
As a result, Sentinel reporters found voucher schools where teachers lacked credentials and even college degrees. They also found teachers with criminal records, schools that falsified fire and health inspections and schools that refused to serve children with disabilities or gay parents. A few were such financial wrecks, they shut down in the middle of the school year.
In Florida, you can basically just throw up a shingle, call yourself a school and start cashing the $8,000 checks.
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Sure, some private schools are great — with established track records and accredited by respected organizations. But many are not. Of the 276 private schools listed in Orange, state records show fewer than 50 are accredited.
I see value in school choice with basic accountability measures. Lawmakers could require all voucher schools to publish graduation rates and nationally accepted test scores, hire teachers with degrees, disclose all the curriculum and not discriminate with taxpayer money.
But GOP lawmakers have rebuffed most accountability measures. As a result, Florida has become a Wild West of taxpayer-funded education with many parents just hoping for the best — and then learning the state basically shrugs its shoulders when they file complaints like the ones the Sentinel has documented. (“Cleaning lady substituting for teacher” … “I don’t see any evidence of academics” … “vast scope of educational neglect.”)
Florida won’t tell you what’s wrong at its voucher schools – unless we pay $10,413 | Commentary
If a school closes down mid-year or parents discover there’s not really any quality education going on, Florida’s version of accountability is to basically say: Well, try again. That’s “choice” for ya.
There’s also the question of whether there will be enough money for all the families who want to cash in as well now that families that used to spend their own money on private tuition can turn to taxpayers for help. An odd, under-reported provision in the new law says every student is now entitled to a voucher but also says students from poorer families get “priority” status. Think about that. It makes no sense. If everyone allegedly gets a voucher, why would anyone need “priority” status — unless you’re worried the cash grabs will be so rampant, the state might run out of money?
Some voucher critics view price hikes like the one described in St. Petersburg as a way to keep the riff-raff out. That’s a cynical take. The Times reported that St. Paul’s leaders said they will work with families who can’t otherwise afford to attend the school.
Still, Monsignor Gibbons did say the church believed requiring families to spend their own money — in addition to the vouchers — was a way to get “parents who are fully invested.” He said they didn’t want to “just become another public school where the government is funding the education.”
They seem to want the best of both worlds — public funding without the public accountability.
smaxwell@orlandosentinel.com
