Several supporters of Washington, D.C.’s school voucher program were called to testify Wednesday before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee. The committee is considering a bill that would extend the program for an additional five years.
Among those testifying were a student, a parent and a school administrator all involved in the program, which is technically known as the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. All three are involved with three separate schools.
Linda Cruz Catalan is a high school student who uses a scholarship to attend the Field School. She told the few senators in attendance that she comes from a low-income, hard-working family and feels “extremely lucky” to be in the program. “Since 2004, there have been 16,000 children that have applied for this opportunity in the Washington, D.C., area, and I was one of the 6,100 extremely grateful and lucky kids to receive it.” Cruz Catalan went to a public K-8 school and knows many other low-income students who would have benefitted from the same scholarship opportunity. “I saw that a lot of these kids had multiple problems, meaning that a large public high school wouldn’t be beneficial for them at all.”
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Gary Jones also testified. Jones’ daughter uses a scholarship to attend St. Thomas More Catholic Academy. His youngest daughter was unable to receive a scholarship, so Jones took a second job so he could pay the $6,000 a year out of pocket for both his daughters to attend. Jones’ five children have attended public, charter, and private schools in Washington.
“By far, we saw the greatest level of achievement for our children when we had them in private schools,” Jones said. “Charters did not work for my children, while DCPS was mediocre at best.”
Jones criticized Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., and President Obama for wanting to close the program, while allowing current participants to stay in through graduation. “What makes the children in the program now more deserving than the children who desperately want the same opportunity?” he asked. “Parents in parts of D.C. need good choices now and we can’t wait for schools to improve or waiting lists to drop. Ms. Norton talked about accountability. More than 90 percent of OSP kids graduate and go on to college. That’s accountability.”
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Beth Blaufuss has worked at Archbishop Carroll High School since 2006, the second year of the Opportunity Scholarship Program. She is now president of the school, and says students with an opportunity scholarship are more likely to graduate from high school. “I have seen the Opportunity Scholarship’s impact first-hand,” Blaufuss said. “It is a powerful tool for families and for our city to continue progressing in educational attainment and equality of opportunity.” Archbishop Carroll has graduated 221 students through the program since it began in 2004.
If the program is left untouched, funding would expire on Oct. 1, 2016. The House has already passed a five-year extension of the program.
Jason Russell is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
