Pat O’Donnell is a resident of Sioux Center and spent 37 years serving in Iowa public schools as a teacher, principal and superintendent. He may be reached at patnancy@zoho.com.
The first year of private-school vouchers is ending for Iowa students from preschool to 12th grades. The vouchers, created under the Students First Act, provide public money for “education savings accounts,” which parents can use to pay their children’s tuition to an accredited Iowa private school.
“Allowing parents to choose the education that’s best for their children levels the playing field and creates equal opportunities for Iowa’s students,” Governor Kim Reynolds said, describing the voucher program’s goal.
But does the program meet that goal? To answer that, it’s useful to examine the experiences of states with similar systems.
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