SALT LAKE CITY — Utah families across the state are left wondering about next steps following a judge's ruling late last week in which the state's Utah Fits All scholarship program was deemed unconstitutional.
Those for the program say the ruling is a devastating setback for Utah families, while those against it say it’s a win for public education. But no doubt about it, we learned school choice is a controversial topic.
“When people start looking at it and realize, it’s taking public money out of the public and giving it to private individuals, they’ll recognize the fault,” said Moe Hickey, Executive Director, Voices for Utah Children
“The more families that find out about this, the more families want it," shared Robyn Bagley, Executive Director, Utah Education Fits All. "Choice is not going away. We will fight for this.”
As Hickey and Bagley stand on opposite sides of the issue, Bagley believes school choice gives parents flexibility.
“The legislature passed a law understanding this and focusing on the fact that we need to educate our children and educate them well," she said. "Now we have families that have options to do that when the other options don’t work for them.”
The Utah Fits All program currently provides 10,000 students with $8,000 each. Bagley says the money can be used for private school or home-based learning, and parents can select the type of goods and services they want for their child’s education.
While opponents say the program lacks transparency, Bagley claims the legislature has continuously kept track of the program and even made changes for the upcoming year.
“If we put half the effort into improving or making improvements in the K-12 public education system, instead of taking this money out, we’d see much better outcomes across the state,” explained Hickey.
Working in public education for years, Hickey says voucher programs like Utah Fits All have only caused more problems for Utah schools and families.
“We pay taxes for the common good," he said, "it’s enshrined in the Utah constitution that the state provides the education, and I think the judge ruled correctly on this.”
According to Bagley, attorneys are ready to appeal the decision.
“This will be absolutely devastating to families if [the judge] does not allow the program to go forward while the higher courts decide what to do.”
