_ Study ShowsSchool Vouchers Actually Save Money (NAPSA)—There could be good news for taxpayers—especially those whoare also parents of school-agekids. Since the creation of the first school voucher program in 1990, 42 analy- ses have examinedthefiscal affect of school choice ontaxpayers. While pub- lic officials often fearthefiscaleffects of these programsondistrict schools, concernedthat because ofhigh fixed costs, school choice programs cause harm, the researchers found school choice pro- gramsactually save moneyorareat least revenueneutral. None have had a nega- @ tive fiscal impact. HowIt Works Many parents may be pleasantly surprised to learn thatusing school voucherscan benefit notonlytheir in their public schools. For example, if ownchildren but also the kids who a schooldistrict spends$10,000 per stu- stay in the public schools. In all the programsstudied, voucher studentsleave the federal and local education dollars allocated for them behind dent andthestudentleaves with a $4,050 voucher,thedistrict keeps the remaining 2. School vouchers let parents choose $5,500. Any leftoverstate funds go back private schoolfor their children,using to thestate, rather than the district, and all or part ofthe public fundingset aside canbereinvested in public schools. The district gets to keep the portion of the federal funds it gets that are not based on enrollment. As a result, the public schools are left with fewer students to teach and more moneyperpupil to doit. Communities can also use the moneysaved to invest in other priorities, such as law enforcementorhealthcare or lowertaxes. Therefore, by taking their educa- tionalneedsto private schools, voucher students removedanestimated cost burdenof$8.5 billion from public schools. A Primer On The Programs Vouchersystemsvary from place to place. Here’ a lookat someofthe more commonones. 1.Education Savings Accounts (ESAs)let parents withdrawtheirchil- dren from public district or charter schools and get public funds in gov- ernment-authorized savings accounts. ‘These funds can coverprivate school, for their children’s education. Fundstyp- ically expended bya schooldistrict are allocated to the family. 3. Tax Credit Scholarships allow studentsto receive private schoolschol- arships through nonprofit scholarship- granting organizations, whose donors receive tax credits for their charitable contributions. 4. Individual tax credits and deductions let parents get state income tax relief for approved educational expenses. The overarching study was con- ducted by Martin Leuken, Ph.D., Direc- tor of Fiscal Policy and Analysis at EdChoice, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to advancingfull and unencumberededucational choice as the best pathwayto successful lives anda strongersociety. Learn More To see individual voucher program breakdowns, download the full report online learning programs,private tutoring, community college costs, higher at www.EDCHOICE.ORG/VoucherFis services and materials. ther facts, go to www.edchoice.org. education expenses, andother approved calEffects. For more aboutthe studies, e-mail research@edchoice.org, For fur-
