We live in a complex, diverse democracy whose independence is
maintained to a great extent through an educated electorate. Ignorance is not
democracy's friend.
That's why the U.S. public has been a strong supporter of public
schools. In every town, city and state, maintenance and improvement of public
schools are always a subject of political debate because they are considered so
fundamental to our democracy — to say nothing of the well-being and continued
prosperity of our people.
Public schools are, and should remain, secular, providing a good
education to people of all religions and cultures, favoring none over others,
benefiting religious and non-religious people. Unlike many countries in Europe,
Latin America and elsewhere, U.S. governments by design provide very limited
direct assistance to religious schools.
But like many people today, immigrants in the last and previous
centuries wanted schools that also helped maintain their faith, and so besides
supporting at great added expense the public schools that their children do not
attend, Lutherans, Jews, Catholics, and members of many faiths established
schools to do just that.
For people in 23 counties in southwest Iowa, the Catholic Diocese
of Des Moines runs 17 schools, which have about 4,700 students in 15 elementary
schools and 1,600 students in two high schools. Most of the students are
Catholic, but many are not. Recognizing that they are the primary educators of
their children, many parents want the quality education these schools provide,
as well as the discipline, security and order that characterize Catholic
schools.
Catholic schools focus on research-based practices that are highly
effective, and they are uniquely positioned to successfully integrate and
exceed the Iowa Core Curriculum. Catholic school students, who provide
widespread community service with the goal of stimulating life-long habits,
consistently score above the Iowa Assessments and ACT state and national
averages. Five of our diocese's 17 schools have been designated as Blue Ribbon
Schools by the U.S. Department of Education for overall excellence.
But the schools are becoming more expensive to maintain, and
federal and state governments, and local school districts, have recognized the
value in some limited assistance. Religious and other non-public schools
provide an alternative to public schools, affording the healthy benefits that
alternatives usually bring. The burden on public schools, especially in smaller
districts, would be much greater without them.
Important limited support provided these schools has included the
65 percent tax credit initiated by the Iowa Legislature in 2006. In the case of
our diocesan schools, Iowans donate to the Catholic Tuition Organization (CTO),
to which $3.2 million was contributed in 2014, to provide scholarships to
Catholic schools for low income families.
Now under a legislative proposal known as the "Education Savings
Account", the state would deposit an amount each academic
year in a fraud-protected account that the parents of K-12 children not
enrolled in a public school could access for tuition, fees, and tutoring. The
parent could use the funds each year and anything remaining after high school
graduation could be used for college or university education within Iowa.
The amount placed in the parent special account would be the same
as the average basic state aid for a public school student. Public school
income includes this basic state aid (currently an average of about $5,600)
plus other levies, local property taxes and various other federal funds, and
public schools would continue to receive the state money for students actually
enrolled in the public school.
Some worry that limited support of religious schools will somehow
undermine public schools, that it amounts to creeping state support for
religion. But we estimate that for no more than an additional 4 percent of the
current government spending on K-12 education, the state could help maintain an
alternative education that continues to benefit all Iowans, not just those who
send their children to non-public schools.
The Diocese of Des Moines and I personally support strong public
schools and the special referenda and other responsible tax levies for public
education. But we also advocate for parental choice in education and in the
present environment, we do not want our Catholic schools to become preserves
for the elite or wealthy. The Education Savings Account would help avoid that.
RICHARD PATES is the bishop of the Diocese of
Des Moines. Catholic Schools Week is Jan. 25-31.
