Weeks after Indiana began the nation’s broadest school voucher program, thousands of students have transferred from public to private schools such as to an all girls catholic school. This has caused a spike in enrollment at some Catholic institutions that were only recently on the brink of closing for lack of pupils.
John Elcesser, Executive Director of the Indiana Non-Public Education Association, said it’s not surprising that Catholic Schools are receiving so many of the vouchers. Most Catholic schools already have state accreditation, which some private schools lack.
A call to the St. Peter Lutheran School in North Judson revealed that only one student has been enrolled under the voucher program. Principal Rhonda Reimers said she felt more would have enrolled if they had known the details of the program earlier. Reimers said she expects more will enroll in the future.
Under the new law, more than 3,200 Indiana students are receiving vouchers to attend private schools. Public school advocates have long feared the voucher program because it takes tax dollars away from them and into the private schools. Residents can search “private elementary school near me” to see what schools have the voucher program.
