The Idea of an Essay, Volume 4

132 The Idea of an Essay: Volume 4 The Fiscal Impact of Free Choice Education Essentially, the fiscal argument against free choice boils down to two points of contention: finances and fraud. The first main point that opponents of free choice have is that it, at a minimum, will have no financial benefits and, at worst, will create an even greater educational disparity between high and low income families. The AFT presents a few pieces of evidence where the implementation of voucher systems had led to serious problems. In Milwaukee, 42% of voucher schools offered no viable method for special needs children (AFT, 2006). Washington D.C. found that only three private schools were able to be attended with the funds provided by the voucher system, and the Department of Education found that 70-85% of schools were unwilling to become voucher schools if they were required to accept special needs children into their enrollment (AFT, 2006). Distress over the financial impact, however, does not end just with the individual but extends to the state as well. According to the AFT (2006), costs for voucher schools were almost $1000 higher than public schools in Milwaukee, and Florida public schools were considered to be nearly $1600 cheaper than voucher schools. By contrast, the AFT (2006) claims that diverting these resources into the public school system would be substantially more effective. An example offered by them pertains to funneling the resources from corporate vouchers into a public school reading program. By doing this, the AFT (2006) says that a $3500 voucher normally offered to one student could be used to fund about nine public school students for merely $400 per pupil. The second point of contention offered over the fiscal aspect of free choice education is that of fraud. TheAFT(2006) alongwithother liberal groups are concerned that a free choice system, “can be fertile breeding ground for ‘fly-by-night’ schools run by uncredentialed entrepreneurs” (pg. 2). Three stories are presented the AFT (2006) of how voucher money has been misused. In one instance, $350,000 of corporate voucher money was given to an Islamic University that had connections to the terrorist organization Islamic Jihad (AFT, 2006). Another story found that, for several years, Wisconsin was unable to shut down a Milwaukee voucher school that was headed by a convicted felon and run by staff members who used illicit drugs on school property (AFT, 2006). A final story told of $168,000 that was