Please read our Privacy Policy. The state Board of Education is recommending a bill that would mandate school districts participation in the School Choice Act. The 1989 act was designed to provide parents and students more educational choices, said Oliver Dillingham of the state Board of Education. As it stands, only the students who attend school districts that participate have choices. School choice, proponents say, allows students to attend schools where there are a wider variety of academic curriculums or opt for smaller districts.
Some parents also prefer that their children attend a school in a district where they work.
The idea is if students like their school better, they should perform better academically. There also is the hope that schools will be forced to improve if competing to keep students. On the flip side, Dillingham said a disadvantage is that a student can transfer from outside a district to another, filling a vacancy that could have been utilized by a child living in the district. If passed, one superintendent fears, the bill could result in overcrowding in his district. I worry such a bill may deprive all children by the overcrowding.