Private Schools Polarized Over Voucher Issue

Sitting in his small, Spartan office, Jerome Porath, school superintendent for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, speaks with enthusiasm about the “endless possibilities” that passage of the school voucher initiative could bring: expansion, specialized education programs, more computers.

Forty miles south in Corona del Mar, Sidney DuPont, headmaster of the prestigious, private Harbor Day School, lambastes the ballot measure, warning that if it passes, “the public school is just going to be devastated by losing the funding.”

From the well-appointed campuses of the most expensive academies to the more austere setting of church-based schools, California’s private schools are deeply divided over whether they should receive state funding--a reflection of their ideological independence and the intense controversy that envelops the Proposition 174 debate. In Orange County, too, administrators at the 224 private schools here have a range of opinions as diverse as their curricula.

“Many (private school) organizations find their memberships split,” said Joyce McCray, executive director of the Council for American Private Education. “Private schools greatly value their independence and don’t necessarily feel bound to each other. One of their greatest assets is their diversity of opinion.”

In interviews with leaders of groups representing the majority of the state’s 3,839 private schools, and with superintendents, principals and headmasters from a wide variety of campuses, these conclusions about their stances on the measure emerge:

* In general, the most elite and expensive schools, with tuitions of $8,000 to $10,000 a year or more, oppose the initiative, believing that the financing provisions will hurt public schools and lead to government intervention in private school operations.

* Catholic schools, which educate half the state’s 554,000 private school students, and most other church-affiliated schools appear to favor the initiative. They have tuitions at or below $2,600.

* There is a greater diversity of opinion among moderately priced religious and secular schools with tuitions between $2,500 and $5,000 a year. Although they appear to favor the measure, their support is not as strong as it is among lower-tuition schools.

The Education Vouchers Initiative on the Nov. 2 ballot would amend the state Constitution to give parents of school-aged children a tax-funded voucher worth $2,600 to spend at any voucher-redeeming private, parochial or public school that accepts the child.

Any school with 25 or more children could accept vouchers, as long as the school does not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity or advocate unlawful or hateful behavior.

The vouchers could be redeemed by students who are already enrolled in private academies--though those enrolled as of Oct. 1, 1991, would not be eligible for vouchers until 1995-6--as well as by public school pupils who could use them to transfer to private campuses.

The anti-voucher camp believes that the split of opinion among private schools, which could profit by the measure’s passage, is a clear signal that the initiative is deeply flawed.

“Their opinion is a reflection of the same concerns that people throughout the state have,” said Rick Ruiz, a spokesman for the anti-voucher campaign, which is heavily funded by public school employee associations.

But the pro-voucher campaign said the diversity of opinion on the voucher issue among private schools is one reason it is not counting on private school students’ parents--who number about 300,000--to act as a unified voting bloc.

“Intuitively, one would think that parents of private school kids will support this . . . that they have some self-interest and ought to automatically favor this,” said Ken Khachigian, Yes on 174’s campaign manager. “But the point of school choice is not to benefit private schools. It is to benefit students and kids. The issue has never been private education and public education. The issue is education.”

The controversy over vouchers is exemplified in the polar range of opinions among private schools.

At the most exclusive campuses, vouchers hold decidedly little appeal. These schools have long waiting lists and highly competitive admissions standards. Most of their enrollees’ parents are affluent and do not need a $2,600 government subsidy to meet tuition. At Lick-Wilmgerding, there were 600 applications for 80 spots this year--and the annual tuition is $10,500.

“There’s a waiting list at every grade level for this school, so we’re not going to get a new influx of applicants,” said Harbor Day’s DuPont, a voucher opponent. “The kids that graduate from Harbor Day school are going to live well into the next century with kids that are in public schools, so it’s to their advantage to have the entire populace as well-educated as possible. . . . You have to examine your own conscience and morally think about the kids in the public sector.”

At an independent private school--one with a lower tuition--the opinion is the opposite.

Anyim Palmer, founder of the Marcus Garvey School in South-Central Los Angeles, which promotes a rigorous curriculum and studies in African-American culture, said he supports the initiative.

“Many of our parents feel it is too good to be true because it would ease a tremendous burden from them,” he said, predicting that African-American parents, disillusioned with public schools, would flock to his campus of nearly 400 students.

And in Orange County, at Harbor Day rival Carden Hall, Principal Albert Jones is a fervent supporter of the initiative.

“I’m in favor of competition--it’s a healthy thing that keeps us on our toes,” Jones said. “I’ve often wondered why competition has honed the heroes of our country but we don’t believe in it for education or the postal service. It’s amazing, but we don’t. . . . I think competition would bless schools.”

Among temple- and church-affiliated schools, which enroll 90% of the state’s private school students, the debate is fervent.

Recently, three Los Angeles-area rabbis, whose Reform and Conservative temples educate nearly 1,500 children, held a news conference announcing their opposition to the initiative, calling it a matter of principles over pocketbooks.

“Public funds should be used for public circumstances. It’s as simple as that,” said Rabbi Harold Schulweiss of Valley Beth Shalom, which enrolls about 400 students.

The rabbis cited a state report estimating that the vouchers could drain $1 billion to $1.6 billion from state coffers over the next three years as voucher payments to private school parents are phased in.

At the same time, rabbis with the Yeshiva Principals Council, which represents 14 Orthodox elementary and high schools with 5,500 students, have voted to support the initiative and do not believe it is their congregations’ responsibility to support what they see as a failing public school system.

“The majority of our parents, 99%, are in favor,” said Rabbi Aron Tendler, president of the council of Orthodox schools, where annual tuitions range between $4,500 and $5,000 for elementary schools and up to $9,000 for high schools. “They rightfully see this as some degree of relief.”

An Orange County Jewish educator who belongs to neither group backs Prop. 174 for its benefit to his own school and the educational system overall.

“I sincerely believe that the vouchers are a way to radically alter the way California’s public education is structured, and without a radical shift I think the schools will get worse and worse and worse,” said Chaim Heller, principal of the Morasha School in Aliso Viejo. “I don’t see any way to continue public education the way it is and I don’t want to stand here and watch the system go down the drain.”

Some church-affiliated schools express staunch opposition to the ballot measure because they believe it is a constitutional infringement on the separation of church and state.

“I do not personally believe that state money should be used to fund a church ministry,” said Joe Koella, chairman of the board of directors for Friends Christian Schools in Yorba Linda. “It doesn’t sound right. What other church activity is state-sponsored? Where do you draw the line?”

In the Los Angeles Episcopal Diocese, Bishop Fredrick H. Borsch and Suffragan Bishop Chester L. Talton have announced their opposition to the initiative, but some individual Episcopal school boards have voted not to take a stand.

Leaders of low- and moderate-tuition schools who support the initiative say they do not fear government regulation. If the state would start to interfere with religious or other teachings, they say they will stop accepting vouchers.

“If something came along that we could not agree with, if they really go after the religious issues, at that point we step out,” said Don Cole, superintendent of the Whittier Christian Schools, which has 1,300 students on three elementary campuses. “If they begin to regulate our philosophy or our purpose, we would step back, because those things are what we are here for.”

At Catholic and many other religious schools, however, a voucher would cover most if not all of the tuition. Orange County’s 36 Catholic schools have an average tuition of $1,700 and the six Catholic high schools charge about $4,000; some in poor neighborhoods charge far less, thanks to heavy church subsidies.

A survey last August of about 750 Christian schools that charge tuition between $2,400 and $2,800 showed that about two-thirds supported the initiative, said Burt Carney, director of state legislative issues for the Assn. of Christian Schools.

Many church- and temple-based schools also consider it their moral responsibility to open their schoolyard gates to all who believe in their philosophies and who are willing to abide by their rules. These schools believe that vouchers will aid middle- and low-income parents, who often lack the money to choose private education.

“Our church teaches that the parent is the primary educator of the children,” said Brother William Carriere, superintendent of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Orange. “We partner with the parent in that endeavor, but the parents have made a deliberate choice. We feel very accountable to our parents for what we do.”

The California Catholic Conference of Bishops has declined to take a stand on Proposition 174, saying that although Catholic teaching fully supports a parent’s right to chose schools for children, it is not the church’s role to tell Catholics how to judge a specific statewide approach to school choice.

Clearly, with their low tuitions, the state’s 715 Catholic schools--the largest private school force in the state--would have the most to gain if the voucher measure passes. But the schools “would be faced with many opportunities and challenges,” said a briefing paper on the initiative published by the California Catholic Conference.

Those issues include the possibility of expanding schools and building new ones to “accommodate students whose parents would be financially empowered to seek admission” and providing financial aid to help low-income parents send their children to high schools, which can cost more than $2,600, the document stated.

Inner-city archdiocese schools in Los Angeles have about 5,000 empty seats, Porath said. He estimated the potential of another 28,000 new seats if every schoolroom currently being used for other purposes because of declining enrollment was reconverted to a classroom. This, however, is unlikely because some schools may be unwilling to give up classrooms being used for other important church and school functions, such as for youth centers, libraries and computer labs.

Orange County Catholic schools have waiting lists for some grades and space in others, depending on the location.

The issue of private school capacity is hotly debated and the true picture is uncertain, according to two recent studies by outside groups and interviews with private school officials.

A study this year by the Southwest Regional Laboratory showed that California’s private schools are so full that they could accommodate only about 43,000 new students.

However, many private school officials have criticized the survey, saying that their schools must run at or near capacity to stay solvent and researchers did not go far enough to talk to the proper school officials who could accurately estimate potential capacity.

For supporters of Proposition 174, analyses of private school capacity misses the point of their argument. They envision an unparalleled restructuring of education in which free market competition and demand for quality education will spur dramatic growth in private schools.

“It’s the magic of the marketplace,” said Khachigian, the Yes on 174 campaign manager.

The state legislative analyst estimated that more than 1 million public school students, or 20%, would have to transfer to voucher-redeeming schools if the state was to break even on the costs of giving tax money to parents of every eligible private school child. This assumes that every private school in the state would accept vouchers.

Many private school opponents of Proposition 174 say it is highly unrealistic--even laughable--to expect 1 million new private school seats to spring up in the coming years.

“It’s hard to open a school; it takes resources and commitment,” said voucher opponent Rick Fitzgerald, president of the California Assn. of Independent Schools. “The new school issue is a false issue. I don’t think it is going to happen.”

About the only thing that virtually all private schools agree on when it comes to the voucher debate is that they despise the anti-voucher ad campaign. Radio and television ads claim that the dearth of government regulations will lead to the proliferation of secretive, fraudulently operated voucher schools.

“The opposition advertising has painted a very inaccurate picture of non-public education,” Rowins said. “It’s very offensive--and offensive to the parents who have made great sacrifices to send their children to private school.”

* COMPLEX CHOICE: Picking an O.C. school could be difficult if Prop. 174 passes. B1

Private School Sampler

Private schools in Orange County range from elite college prep to special education, from emphasis on religion, art and music to the basics. A look at some of those schools: School: Carden Hall Grades: K-8 City: Newport Beach Total students: 500 Tuition (max): $4,100-$4,700* Class size: 22 Founded: 1962 School philosophy: Uses Mae Carden’s educational method, which emphasizes basics of reading and writing. School: El Dorado School for the Gifted Grades: K-12 City: Orange Total students: 200 Tuition (max): $5,335 Class size: 20 Founded: 1959 School philosophy: Helps children with high intelligence (top 5% of population): emphasizes art, music and foreign language. School: Fairmont Private Grades: K-9 City: Anaheim/Yorba Linda Total students: 1,100** Tuition (max): $5,000-$6,735* Class size: 28 Founded: 1953 School philosophy: College preparatory; strong academics. School: French-American School Grades: K-5 City: Fountain Valley Total students: 33 Tuition (max): $4,200 Class size: 15 Founded: 1988 School philosophy: Bilingual education, teaching regular English curriculum plus French language, history and culture. School: Harbor Day Grades: K-8 City: Corona del Mar Total students: 400 Tuition (max): $6,285 Class size: 22 Founded: 1964 School philosophy: College preparatory, rigorous admissions test and strong academics. School: Lutheran High Grades: 9-12 City: Orange Total students: 546 Tuition (max): $2,785/$4,190*** Class size: 26 Founded: 1973 School philosophy: Provides strong academics in a Christian setting. School: Mater Dei Grades: 9-12 City: Santa Ana Total students: 2,100 Tuition (max): $4,100 Class size: 32 Founded: 1950 School philosophy: Strong academics taught within a Catholic context. School: Montessori Greenhouse Grades: 1-6 City: Garden Grove Total students: 70 Tuition (max): $4,200 Class size: 24 Founded: 1970 School philosophy: Follows method of Maria Montessori, using concrete materials to teach abstract concepts; lets students progress at own speed. School: Morasha Grades: K-7 City: Aliso Viejo Total students: 110 Tuition (max): $5,750 Class size: 18 Founded: 1986 School philosophy: Non-denominational Jewish day school teaching Hebrew, Jewish history, religion and Bible along with secular curriculum. School: St.Michael the Archangel Academy Grades: K-12 City: Irvine Total students: 91 Tuition (max): $175 Class size: N/A Founded: 1992 School philosophy: Home schooling in a Catholic context. Parents teach their own children, administrator provides curriculum framework, sample tests, and field trips. School: Stoneybrooke Christian Grades: K-8 City: Mission Viejo Total students: 362 Tuition (max): $3,500 Class size: 24 Founded: 1983 School philosophy: Evangelical, non-denominational Christian school; emphasizes spirituality and character development. N/A Not applicable

* Higher tuition for older grades

** School has several campuses

*** Higher tuition for non-church members

Source: Individual schools

Researched by JODI WILGOREN / For The Times