Frequently asked questions
What do national educational organizations think about vouchers?
The American Association of University Women: AAUW stands firmly by the belief that the country should provide an excellent education for all children, not private school vouchers for a few.
Fact: There's no link between vouchers and gains in student achievement
Fact: Vouchers undermine accountability for public funds.
Fact: Vouchers do not reduce public education costs.
Fact: Vouchers do not give parents real educational choice.
Fact: The public disapproves of vouchers.
What does the Colorado constitution say about this issue?
Colorado State Constitution
Article IX Education
Section 7. Aid to private schools, churches, sectarian purpose, forbidden.
Neither the general assembly, nor any county, city, town, township, school district or other public corporation, shall ever make any appropriation, or pay from any public fund or moneys whatever, anything in aid of any church or sectarian society, or for any sectarian purpose, or to help support or sustain any school, academy, seminary, college, university or other literary or scientific institution, controlled by any church or sectarian denomination whatsoever; nor shall any grant or donation of land, money or other personal property, ever be made by the state, or any such public corporation to any church, or for any sectarian purpose.
Will students who are already in private school be eligible for the voucher program?
No, the district would not get additional funds, part of which would go toward vouchers for students not currently in the public school system. Only students currently in the public schools would be eligible, diverting the existingfunds to pay tuition for those students.
What did the Constitution framers think about public education?
Laws for the liberal education of the youth, especially of the lower class of the people, are so extremely wise and useful, that, to a humane and generous mind, no expense for this purpose would be thought extravagant.
John Adams 1776
The good Education of Youth has been esteemed by wise Men in all Ages, as the surest Foundation of the Happiness both of private Families and of Common-wealths. Almost all Governments have therefore made it a principal Object of their Attention, to establish and endow with proper Revenues, such Seminaries of Learning, as might supply the succeeding Age with Men qualified to serve the Publick with Honour to themselves, and to their Country.
Benjamin Franklin 1749
A nation under a well regulated government, should permit none to remain uninstructed. It is monarchical and aristocratical government only that requires ignorance for its support.
Thomas Paine 1792
To all of which is added a selection from the elementary schools of subjects of the most promising genius, whose parents are too poor to give them further education, to be carried at the public expense through the college and university. Th...e object is to bring into action that mass of talents which lies buried in poverty in every country, for want of the means of development, and thus give activity to a mass of mind, which, in proportion to our population, shall be double or treble of what it is in most countries.
Thomas Jefferson, 1817
Explain the State funding formula
We will let the experts handle that. Click here to find out the official state funding formulas.