Anyone who could meet limited criteria specified in the legislation could open a school and receive voucher money. Nonpublic schools may deny admission to children based on religion, gender, economic status, physical ability, mental capacity, or other arbitrary criteria. Nonpublic schools provide for no public review or oversight. Vouchers for nonpublic schools would be distributed with no provisions regarding achievement, accountability, or compliance with public school regulations. Additional costs for budget items such as transportation and administration may increase the burden on local taxpayers.
Vouchers only cover a percentage of the cost of tuition.
Only those with financial means to make up the difference between the voucher and the actual cost of tuition would have access to the system. Because the state has the highest rural population of any state in the nation, vouchers would be of little use to those parents living outside the urban and suburban areas that cannot access alternate schools for their children. Contrary to popular belief, no statewide voucher program currently exists anywhere in the nation. The few models that do exist have excluded parochial schools from receiving vouchers in order to avoid violating federal constitutional provisions for separation of church and state. The best known voucher model located in Milwaukee is limited to a small number of at-risk children.