School Choice Initiative

It may be true that Joseph Alibrandi and Kevin Teasley (“Power to the Parents!” Commentary, March 2) are interested in offering choice to low-income and minority students. Their initiative doesn’t do that. The group drafting the initiative would not agree to reserve 15% to 20% of the spaces in voucher-receiving schools.

The authors express concern about meeting the needs of 2 million new students by the year 2000 and the resulting need for increased taxes. If tax dollars follow the student to private and parochial schools, where are the savings? There will be a need to increase taxes anyway.

This initiative comes across as a way for private and parochial schools to gain access to public funds and will trigger years of expensive court litigation, wasting limited state resources.

ANITA BLUTINGER

San Diego