I am a Roman Catholic. Last month, Michigan Catholic bishops sent letters to homes of 2 million Catholics promoting the passage of the school voucher proposed in November. Earlier this year, I arrived at church to find a worker outside gathering petition signatures. The bishops have indicated that two more mailings made by mid-September. In October, Catholics can expect a sermon from the pulpit by their perish priest promoting vouchers. It is estimated that the Catholic bishops will spend over $1 million in church funds to seek passage of the proposal.

It is with a heavy heart that I voice my disagreement with the hierarchy of my church. I attended a Catholic school. My parents sent their six children to a Roman Catholic school to help them remain faithful Catholics. They did not expect non-Catholics to be ---pelled to provide public funds for this effort.

The Catholic bishop states that it is not fair that their flock should pay twice for education: once by paying taxes for public schools and twice for tuition at private or religious schools. They recommend that our constitution be amended to allow public funds to support private and religious schools.

Public funds should be used solely for public schools. Public schools, like public roads, are a public obligation. Can you imagine if we asked our Road Commission for some of our road funds back to pay for a private road? I'm sure our argument that we don't use some roads would fall on deaf ears.

Let us carry the private road analogy a bit farther. Private and religious schools accepting public tax vouchers will remain private institutions. They will decide (not parents) who will attend their schools. They are not subject to the Freedom of Information or Open Meeting Acts. They are not subject to pupil testing requirements, such as MEAP tests. In short, there is little or no accountability.

The bishops argue that vouchers will be "opportunity grants" for students living in school districts with low academic achievement. The voucher proposal would allow payments of some $3,150 to parents who desire to send their children to private or religious schools in specified districts. The letter from the bishops did not mention the estimated cost of this proposal. The Senate Fiscal Agency placed the cost estimates at $72 million just to pay for students already attending private and religious schools in these so-called failing school districts. This is just one reason why John Engler (also a Roman Catholic) opposes their voucher proposal.

Taxpayer expense will not stop with troubled school districts. This voucher eligibility is designed to spread statewide into districts regardless of academic achievement. Vouchers will not be limited to existing mainstream private or religious schools. It will allow tax support to a variety of schools regardless of creed or beliefs. Tuition tax credits would also be made legal. This would allow wealthy taxpayers to convert their taxes into scholarships for their favorite private or religious school. The rest of the taxpayers will have to make up for the lost tax revenue to pay for school services, including public schools.

I have sent my children to Catholic and public schools I have also served on school boards for many years. I suggest that subsidizing private schools will not help public schools. There is no clear evidence that vouchers will raise academic scores. This expensive voucher proposal at best will help few students. Public schools most accept all students and provide an array of programs including costly special education classes. Choice has been expanded in recent years with one of the largest charter school programs in the country. The voucher proposal sounds good, but read the fine print. It is financially irresponsible and should be rejected.

Burl Ghastin of Paw Paw, is ambassador for public education with the Michigan Association of School Boards and treasurer of the Van Buren Intermediate School Board. Back to Editorials