Reform Movement Urges House Committee to Oppose Private School Vouchers

Dear Chairman Kline and Ranking Member Scott:

On behalf of the Union for Reform Judaism, which encompasses 1.5 million Reform Jews in 900 congregations across North America, and the Central Conference of American Rabbis, which represents 2,000 Reform rabbis, I write to express my opposition to the inclusion of any provisions in or amendments to the Student Success Act (H.R. 5) that would create a private school voucher.

Any program that permits private, often religious schools to receive public funds is poor public policy and certainly invites legal challenges. A central principle of the First Amendment's Establishment Clause is that members of particular faiths, and not the government, should fund religious institutions. Government funding for religious education undermines the First Amendment and harms religious liberty. When vouchers are used towards expenses related to religious school education, they become an indirect government funding of sectarian institutions. We are also concerned that religious schools that receive voucher funds could lose their autonomy because with government money comes government rules and regulations. Such control would not be beneficial for either religious organizations or the government.

Reform Jewish values inspire our support for ensuring a robust public school system. The revered Jewish sage, Maimonides, taught that "any city that does not have a school in it shall be cut off [all contact] until they find a teacher for the children" (Hilchot Talmud Torah 2:1). We have a special obligation to support our public schools and to make known to our communities the important role that they play in our society. 

A school voucher program that redirects funding from Title I to private, often parochial schools, is deeply concerning. Congress adopted Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in 1965 to provide federal funding to local school districts and schools that serve large concentrations of students in poverty to address the compounded impact of poverty on student learning. Today, states receive Title I funding based on a formula which ensures that poorer, smaller and under-resourced districts receive a greater share of Title I funds than more affluent districts. Changing this system by allowing funds to “follow the child” to private schools would add even more stress and challenge to struggling schools. While a small number of students might be able to attend a different school due to a Title I voucher amendment, significantly more students would still be in an under-resourced school that would be even more disadvantaged. The government should instead be investing its funds in programs that reinvigorate the public school system, rather than redirecting critical funds away from public schools and into private, frequently parochial schools. 

Vouchers do not guarantee a student any type of school choice. Rather, they contribute to the monetary means of a family to send their child to a private school if that school accepts the child. Every child counts, yet vouchers could only raise the educational opportunities for a select few. Additionally, private schools do not need to meet the same public accountability standards that all public schools must meet, including those in Title IX, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)— the very law the Committee seeks to reauthorize. 

We urge you to oppose all language in the Student Success Act that would use taxpayer dollars to create a private school voucher program. Our Reform Jewish values teach us the importance not only of a high-quality, robust public education system that promotes opportunity and advancement for each child, but also of strong church-state separation and religious freedom rights, all of which could be compromised by vouchers. 

Sincerely, 
Rachel Laser
Deputy Director, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

CC: Members of the House Education and Workforce Committee