This is part 3 of our 5-part series on commonly asked school choice questions. Read part one and part two here (links).
3. Is there any benefit to school choice for those of us who do not have school-aged children?
Providing a quality education for our children is the most critical investment we can make for our future. Supporting families in educating their children is part of our obligation to promote the common good. Parents have the duty and responsibility to provide the best education possible for their children. They have a fundamental right to determine which school best suits their child. For many parents, the best school for their child is a values-centered, academically excellent Catholic school. The state has the duty and responsibility to support parents in this effort.
People who place their children in nonpublic schools willingly make an enormous financial sacrifice to pay tuition in addition to paying their state and local taxes. They do it because they believe strongly that the nonpublic school is best for their child. In doing so, they save the state and local district the cost of educating their children in the public schools. In Pennsylvania, nonpublic schools save taxpayers $4 billion annually in education costs.
You can read a Catholic’s Guide to school choice here. Add your voice to the chorus of school choice supporters. Visit, call, write or e-mail your state legislators and ask them to support the Opportunity Scholarship Act – SB 1.
