On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives rejected a voucher program proposed by Representative Duncan Hunter (R-CA) which would have provided a $7500 voucher to military families with students with disabilities.
CEC joined with several other national organizations in opposing this proposal and the House rejected it in a very close vote. Since January, the number of voucher proposals in states has risen dramatically and this is the second legislative initiative which has appeared before the U.S. Congress.
This program would have been attached to the Department of Defense Authorization bill and would only have applied to students in military families. CEC opposes this program for many reasons. First and foremost when parents use a voucher and opt out of the public system they relinquish all of their rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Thus, they lose their right to a seat at the table during the important decision making process about their child’s education and they lose their right to challenge that process.
Additionally, often the cost of a private school education is so high that $7500 does not come close to covering it - meaning parents are left paying for any costs above the voucher amount out of their own pocket. Finally, IDEA already requires public schools to pay for the costs of placement in a private school when the IEP team determines it will best meet the student’s needs.
To read CEC’s position against vouchers, click here. CEC’s Board is currently considering updating this position to reflect a broader and more general statement against vouchers for students with disabilities. Stay tuned!
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