CATHOLIC SCHOOLS ARE COMMITTED TO
SERVING OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS
IN WAKE OF JUDGE’S RULING
Tallahassee, FL (March 14, 2000)--"The judicial ruling declaring the Opportunity Scholarship Program as unconstitutional is a sad day for poor children in low performing schools," said Larry D. Keough, Associate for Education of the Florida Catholic Conference.
But Keough said Leon Circuit Judge L. Ralph Smith’s ruling, which precludes the state from carrying out the Opportunity Scholarship Program beyond the 1999-2000 school year, will not deter Florida Catholic Schools from reaching out to students already on scholarship and preparing for expansion of the program.
"We applaud the Governor’s promise to not let the ruling interfere with the education of Opportunity Scholarship students," Keough said. "It is our understanding that efforts are underway for private funds to be utilized in lieu of Opportunity Scholarships if need be."
Keough expressed optimism that the trial court ruling will be reversed on appeal. Millions of state dollars have been spent each year to provide private education to children in need. Public funds are used to provide services for nonpublic school children in exceptional circumstances, including students with disabilities and at-risk students.
Keough said the children currently on Opportunity Scholarship in Pensacola Catholic schools qualified for Title I services last year. This means they met two of the three prong qualifiers: free and reduced lunch; in need of remedial assistance; reside in an attendance zone of a public school that meets Title I qualifications.
"We are talking about at-risk children who are in dire need of remedial assistance and a quality education so the learning gap does not widen," Keough said. The learning gap, he said, is a precursor for illiteracy, drop out, juvenile and adult crime.
"Hopefully, the Opportunity Scholarship Program will continue so the children participating in it won’t become another statistic," he said.
The Florida Catholic Bishops and diocesan school community have steadfastly supported school choice and believe that all parents, as the first and foremost educators of their children, have the fundamental right to choose the schools without financial burden that are in the best interest of their children. At the heart of Catholic school-choice advocacy is social justice for poor children.
Poor families are limited in their choices of schools because they do not have the wherewithal to move to areas where better educational opportunities exist or pay for tuition at many private schools.