SANTA ANA : Trustees Reaffirm Voucher Opposition

The Rancho Santiago Community College District Board of Trustees has reaffirmed its opposition to the school voucher initiative, saying it would have a “potentially ruinous and chaotic effect” on public education statewide.

Two new trustees have joined the board since a similar resolution was approved more than a year ago. The unanimous vote to condemn the initiative reaffirms the board’s position.

The resolution, passed last week, calls on voters to reject the initiative until its potential effects are more fully studied. The resolution states that until then, “the potentially ruinous and chaotic effect on the future of California is far too great a risk to take.”

The resolution also states that if the initiative is passed, “community colleges would be forced to close thousands of classes (and) eliminate hundreds of programs, thus significantly reducing access to higher education.”

The initiative, which will appear on the Nov. 2 state ballot, would allow parents vouchers worth $2,500 for each of their children in kindergarten through 12th grade that could be used to pay tuition at a private school.

“I’m philosophically against it because of the separation of church and state,” said Trustee Tom Saenz, noting that religious schools could receive taxpayer money under the plan.

Saenz, principal at Prospect Elementary School in Orange, added: “We have experienced great success over the years with the public education. To disrupt it at this point . . . could potentially do a lot of harm to our education system.”