MISSION VIEJO : Trustees Oppose Choice Initiative

The Saddleback Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously this week to oppose the so-called school choice statewide ballot initiative.

The initiative would channel state funds to any private or parochial school a student attends--schools that supporters of the proposed ballot measure say are now only open to the wealthy.

The measure, which is sponsored by the Excellence Through Choice in Education League, would provide state scholarships or vouchers worth at least $2,500 for every school-age child. This money could be used to pay for tuition at a private or parochial school.

Members of the league contend that the measure would provide middle- and low-income families with the opportunity to send their children to private schools and increase the quality of education because private and public schools would have to compete for students based on school performance.

Board President Raghu P. Mathur and other trustees spoke out against the measure after approving a resolution against the initiative.

“It is poorly thought out and has tremendous implications,” Mathur said. “We all want choice in America. Choice is a very appealing concept, but the voucher initiative is not the right mechanism to provide that choice.”

District officials said the initiative would permit private or parochial schools to discriminate against students and that teachers at these schools are not required to be credentialed by the state.

“The initiative is an irresponsible way to provide choice for a child’s education,” Mathur said.

Supt. Peter A. Hartman said that even if no parents in the Saddleback Unified School District chose to send their child to a private school, passage of the initiative could mean a loss of about $8 million to $9 million for the district each year and could result in the layoffs of about 250 teachers.

The Saddleback district cannot use public funds to campaign against the measure, but trustees said they would be meeting with PTAs throughout the district to explain what they say are the negative aspects of the initiative.

Many of those supporting the ballot measure are California business people, including Joseph F. Alibrandi, chief executive of Whittaker Corp., a Los Angeles-based aerospace equipment firm. He is one of the leaders of a signature drive to place the measure on the November ballot.

Among those on the group’s advisory board are economist Milton Friedman, former U.S. Secretary of Education William Bennett; John Tunney, a former U.S. senator from California, and former Wisconsin Assemblywoman Annette Williams, who was once a welfare recipient.

Proponents of the measure have until early May to collect the 615,958 signatures needed for the initiative to qualify for the ballot.