The League of Women Voters of Maryland strongly opposes HB 185 - Parental Choice Scholarship Program. For many years the League has opposed using public funding for vouchers to enable parents to send their children to private elementary and secondary schools. This bill would entitle certain low income students to scholarships (otherwise known as vouchers) to attend either a public elementary or secondary school outside their county of residence or a nonpublic elementary or secondary school. Perhaps the most telling provision in the bill is on lines 22-23 on page 5 of the bill: “Any funds needed for a scholarship shall be subtracted from the state financial assistance to the County”. This means that public funds will be used to fund private schools, a tenet that we do not accept. Not only will the result be less state money to support the public schools where the transferring student lives; it may also mean that those schools that need resources the most will have fewer funds. Nonpublic schools are likely to become more selective with a greater pool of applicants, thus skimming off the highest achieving low income students from the public schools where their leadership and achievement are most needed. Action by the legislature during the 2007 Special Session has already reduced state education funding anticipated by all local jurisdictions. This bill could further skew the distribution of state funds and cause those jurisdictions with high numbers of low income students to have access to even fewer resources to meet the needs of their students. Please oppose HB 185.

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HB 185- Parental Choice Scholarship Program