Groups push for school vouchers

Traverse City Record Eagle Tuesday, October 18, 1999

Dearborn (AP) -- Detroit-based religious groups have been intensifying their efforts to gather enough petition signatures for a November 2000 vote on a school voucher voter initiative that would funnel public funds to private and parochial schools,

Catholic, Lutheran and Baptist leaders have organized petition drives, mentioned the effort during services, sent letters to parents about the issue and collected signatures.

"We are pretty much united for this," said the Rev. Arnold D’Achile, pastor of St. Clement Catholic Church in Dearborn, who talked about the issue during Sunday services.. "The whole focus is to help children and parents.

An Oct. 30 deadline looms for the petition drive for the proposal, which would provide vouchers of about $3,000 per child per year for private school tuition in failing school districts.

Those backing the proposal said they need about 3000,000 signatures to put the matter on this ballot.

"We are certainly in support of the signature drive," Ned McGrath, spokesman fo the Archdiocese of Detroit told the Detroit News for a report Monday. "We feel it should be put before the voters."

The Rev. Robert Echola, pastor of Prince of Peace Missionary in Detroit, said the effort was easier to organize because it involved children.

It has a way of uniting," he said. "Vouchers would help us because we are considering a school down the road."

But those against the proposal, including the NAACP and the city of Detroit, are marshaling forces as well.

The NAACP has scheduled a rally on Oct. 26 at the Fellowship Chapel United Church of Christ in Detroit.

"Publicly funded vouchers will skim off the best students - those whom private schools find desirable," said Kweisi Mfume, chief executive officer of NAACP who will lead the rally.