Thursday 05.03.07 we held a press conference offering our proposal for an amendment to Jim Rex’s open enrollment plan. This proposal calls for a limited voucher for children in the following circumstances:
1-at or below 200% poverty level
2-enrolled in a failing public school
3-does not have access to a satisfactory public school
Children is this category will be given a voucher to attend an independent school. The voucher may be as high as $3900 and will come from the state portion of funding. Federal and local funding remains in the local school, so in essence, per pupil funding will increase, giving these failing schools extra funding to improve. Everybody wins!
Also present were members of an organization called Clergy for Educational Options and Senators: Larry Grooms (R-Berkeley) Jakie Knotts (R-Lexington) David Thomas (R-Greenville) Lewis Vaughn (R-Greenville) Danny Verdin (R-Laurens)
On Tuesday 05.08.07 the Senate voted to put the open enrollment bill on special order. This amendment will be offered and hopefully attached to the bill.
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