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Skriven 2007-07-28 18:38:57 av John Massey (1:123/789.0)
Ärende: Private Schools Cost Less
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Private Schools Cost Less Than You May Think

by David Salisbury

David Salisbury is director of the Center for Educational Freedom at the Cato
Institute.

Vouchers, tuition tax credits, and scholarships are being awarded in a growing
number of states and big cities as a way of allowing more children to attend
private schools, rather than government-operated public schools. Wherever these
programs are implemented, critics claim that vouchers or tax credits won't give
children from poor families access to private schools because the costs of such
schools are high. But are private schools really prohibitively expensive? Not
according to the numbers.

The most recent figures available from the U.S. Department of Education show
that in 2000 the average tuition for private elementary schools nationwide was
$3,267. Government figures also indicate that 41 percent of all private
elementary and secondary schools -- more than 27,000 nationwide -- charged less
than $2,500 for tuition. Less than 21 percent of all private schools charged
more than $5,000 per year in tuition. According to these figures, elite and
very expensive private schools tend to be the exception in their communities,
not the rule.

Many people may think private schools are expensive because the costlier
private schools also tend to be the most well known. For example, many in
Houston have heard about St. John's or Tenney High School, where tuition runs
over $13,000 a year. But fewer Houstonians have likely heard of Southeast
Academy, Woodward Acres, or Pecan Street Christian Academy, all of which charge
less than $3,000 per year, well below the city's private school average of
$4,468.

Average private school tuition in other cities tells the same story: a large
number of moderately priced private schools with a few very expensive,
well-known exceptions. Median private elementary school tuition in Denver is
$3,528. In Charleston, $3,150. In Philadelphia, $2,504. In New Orleans, $2,386.

Anthony Williams, mayor of the District of Columbia (where Congress is
considering a school voucher program with voucher amounts of up to $7,500),
recently stated, mistakenly, that "most private school tuitions run in the five
figures -- far beyond what is contemplated for the voucher program."

In truth, according to a recent survey, the median per student cost for private
elementary schools in the District of Columbia is $4,500, well below the
mayor's "five figures." Only 39 percent of D.C. private schools have tuitions
of $10,000 or more.

In all of these cities, the average private school cost is significantly less
than the amount spent for each student in public schools. A voucher or tax
credit worth the same amount spent per student in public schools would easily
give parents access to the bulk of private schools available in their
communities. With more parents able to afford private schools, new schools
would open to accommodate the increased number of students.

In Florida, where students can attend private schools under several choice
programs, the number of private schools in the state is increasing as school
choice programs become more predominant. The percentage of Florida students
enrolled in private schools has risen from 9.31 percent in 1992 to 12.5 percent
in 2001. According to the Florida Department of Education, 353 new private
schools have opened their doors since May 2000. Private entrepreneurs and
philanthropic foundations have poured more than $76 million into Milwaukee's
private schools since school choice was implemented there. This growth in
private schools underscores the fact that the private education sector responds
to increased consumer demand.

Existing school choice programs have already provided evidence of the benefits
of school choice both for those students that switch to better schools and for
those who stay in public schools. Studies in Florida, Milwaukee, San Antonio,
Arizona, and Michigan have all shown that, in areas where school choice is
available, public schools, in one way or another, improve in significant ways,
including test scores and parental involvement.

Fostering a more competitive market in education is critical if the quality of
education in inner cities and elsewhere is to be improved. Government
monopolies -- and that includes public schools -- tend to serve many or most of
their clients poorly, especially in a large and diverse society. Giving parents
access to a growing, affordable, and diverse supply of private schools will
help ensure that the current generation of American children receives a quality
education.

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