The district is checking to see if religious schools could participate in the program as long as students from the public schools were not exposed to religious symbols or teaching. Page's proposal has not been voted on by the Houston school board, but it already has its critics, including at least one member of the board. Some critics have questioned whether the district is permitted to contract with private schools. Page responds that the board already contracts with private schools at district expense to serve special education and at-risk children. He contends that the contracting he proposes is merely an expansion of that existing practice.
Page appears to be right.
Most school districts in the U.S. contract out or privatize at least some of their services, even if tuition isn't normally one of them. A 1995 nationwide survey conducted by American School and University magazine reported that two-thirds of the schools that responded contract out a support service, and 40 percent thought they would contract out more in the future. Janitorial, food, and transportation services are the functions most frequently privatized. Despite criticism, Page's proposal seems to serve the best interests of the more than 2,600 Houston children who were bused last year because their neighborhood schools were full. Taxpayers, too, would benefit from the arrangement.