If I was on the board of a private school I would raise my tuition costs by approximately $2,000 as soon as the demand for my existing school began to peak. This would allow me to hire better teachers and give them the benefits that they have been demanding. Sure the private school will improve with increased revenue but at that point the only people that can afford the schools are the same ones that were affording it in the first place. This, due to the fact that prices have now increased in proportion to the voucher. This does not allow poorer families to attend private schools.

Laws of economics state you should charge the highest price that the market will bare (and with limited and costly capacity to grow Private schools are not a commodity they are a luxury good). With a shot in the arm from government the price the market can bare is $2,000 more than it was before the voucher program. And I doubt you will hear the Private school parents complaining. After all they sent their child to private school for low class sizes and the Principals of the school will tell them their money is going for future improvements. It is a budget neutral argument for parents already enrolled (i.e. no EXTRA costs will be passed to you). So I don’t really see the vouchers creating this up springing of new private schools. Those that are prestigious will become more prestigious. Those that do not exist will have huge upfront start up costs and will most likely be substandard to public schools as they have to cut things like health insurance for teachers etc. Or they will be forced to rent out condemned (vacated because they are old) public schools as is the case in some Utah County Areas. This increase in cost may not occur until seats become filled but it will, in my estimation, occur as capacity is reached.
And then what will happen? Referendum 1A the increase in student voucher amounts to allow new private school families the opportunity to keep up with private school rate hikes.

For the record, Representative Allen’s vote was in the “Nay” category when HB 148 came before the House of Representatives on February 2, 2007.

To clarify- a “yes” vote on Referendum 1 is a vote for vouchers. A “no” vote opposes vouchers.

But since most referendums are initiated because of widespread movements opposing certain policies, it is common to say they either succeeded or failed. As in, Referendum 1 will likely fail to reverse the already passed voucher bill. This is what I mean when I say I predict it will fail- that is, the popular vote will have failed to throw out the legislation. The referendum “succeeds”, vouchers fail; it “fails”, vouchers succeed. Clear as mud?

You do not oppose or support a referendum like you would a bill, because a referendum is a generic process. You vote a straight “yes” or “no” on it. You’ll want to vote “no” on it.

I wonder what voucher proponents have to say about the “strings attached” argument. Does anyone have a good reason why private schools would be willing to take such a risk?