School voucher faces lawsuit but new students still a go in Catholic schools

August 12, 2011|By Clifton French (cfrench@wsbt.com), Click here to follow Clifton on Twitter | By Clifton French (cfrench@wsbt.com), Click here to follow Clifton on Twitter

MISHAWAKA -- A judge's decision on whether to block Indiana's new school voucher law, that gives public money for kids to go to private schools based on need, isn't expected until at least next week.

But if it is blocked, what does that mean for students who have already made the switch?

WSBT found out families using vouchers to go to area Catholic schools don't have anything to worry about.

The superintendent of schools for the Fort Wayne South Bend Diocese says he just can't turn them away. But not all private schools are singing the same tune.

For many, attending a private school of choice has always been out of reach. But for Trisha Smith, the new state voucher program has made it a reality for he daughter.

"Sending her to a school, a private school, just always seemed like a dream," Smith said.

And it could remain a dream if the program is stopped.

Smith's daughter is just one of a handful of new students that will be attending Granger Christian School through the new voucher program. If the program is stopped, that money may not be available.

"There is tuition, we have to obviously pay our staff and it costs to be able to educate children," Neil Hampton, GCS Principal said.

Hampton says the lack of tuition would make an education at GCS impossible.

"So the families that are looking to be educated in our school, through the voucher program, (if it ended) it would put a screeching halt to that," Hampton said.

But in some private schools, that's not going to be the case.

Superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Mark Meyers, says they won't turn the new enrollees away.

"This is about children and their future and many of them have expressed extreme hope in matriculating to our Catholic schools, so we're going to meet our obligation and we're going to serve our children," Meyers said.

The Diocese will accept applications through the voucher program until Tuesday. There are currently about 650 students using the program to go to those Catholic schools this school year.

Myers says they will find a way to fund their education.

Bethany Christian Schools in Goshen plans to help keep those kids in the private school too. School officials there say it will cause obvious budget problems, but they will approach donors and find creative ways to raise that money.

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