While appealing on the surface, SB 10 will have very negative impact on our schools, teachers, and on our children.  Further, if implemented, this bill will also have negative effects on property values.

Every dollar put into vouchers is a dollar taken away from our schools.  Actually, it is more than that when considering that there are matching funds for special needs children from the federal government for special needs programs.  If five of ten special needs children are moved to private schools, financial support for these programs will crumble.  The same specially certified teacher will be required on staff to meet the needs of the remaining children, while the dollars to support her salary will be gone, leaving the school districts with the requirement to fund that teacher’s salary out of other funds, thus “bleeding” other programs.

Right now, nearly every public school has its own special needs staff.  If some special needs students are siphoned off to private schools, it may necessitate moving the remaining students to centralize for financial efficiencies, thus destroying the concept of the neighborhood school that meets the needs of the community.  So not only will the quality of the local schools degrade because of funding and offerings, but it will ultimately affect property values in the local area.

While many people are excited by the idea of receiving a voucher for $9,000, which is more than most local school districts are now spending per child, most middle income parents will not be able to use the vouchers without greater financial impact on themselves.  Of the schools in the Atlanta that are currently taking special needs students, the tuition ranges from $13,000 at the Davis Academy to $23,000 at the Atlanta Speech School.  Add this difference to the already higher costs that families with special needs children incur such as medical, and counseling costs, and the costs of testing, uniforms, transportation and meals and there is a very significant difference that the families would have to pay out of pocket.  In other words, this bill would only help wealthier families.  Further, taxes that property owners are required to pay “for the benefit of the local community and the greater good of society” under threat of penalties and fines would be handed over to these few wealthy families who would then have a choice of schools for their children.

Most private schools are not currently equipped to serve the needs of special needs students.  Serving special needs students requires extra space for smaller classes, specially trained teachers, and, sometimes, special equipment as well as access (ramps, etc.)  This bill makes no provisions for educational standards for special needs students nor for professional requirements for the teachers that provide the services to these students. 

From the schools’ standpoint, vouchering special needs students into private schools may be an easy way to get more classrooms to meet the needs of last year’s ill conceived, poorly thought out classroom size reduction bill.  Get rid of the special needs students and you will have one, three, maybe even more classrooms available for “regular” students as a result.

Some may even be thinking that they will be able to raise their school performance scores by “getting rid” of special needs students whose scores might be lowering the testing averages.  However, this is a fallacy as special needs students’ scores are segregated from the rest of the student body anyway. 

From the teacher’s standpoint, jobs would disappear because there would be fewer students requiring services.  Private schools pay two-thirds to half of the low salaries that teachers already are making.  The teachers who lose their jobs because of this bill would not be attracted to the jobs in private schools because most of them cannot afford the cuts in salary and benefits that this move would entail.

From the children’s standpoint, the possibility that all special needs children could be “removed” from their classrooms and schools can actually be detrimental to their overall learning.  By sharing classrooms with special needs students, “regular ed” children gain awareness and sensitivity to the situations of special needs children. The “regular ed” students can grow by helping special needs children with their learning.  If special needs children are “vouchered out,” these opportunities will be lost.

SB 10 also requires the special needs student to forfeit the right to federal funds and support.  These are rights protected by Federal laws and supported by Federal taxes.  No child should be required to forfeit his rights to protection by the Federal government.