To the Editor:
School vouchers help the public schools, taxpayers and students. Every parent should have a voucher or a nearby charter school, not just the very poor or the wealthy, who can move to a different district or pay for a private school.
I have been on several boards, including the Westside Montessori and Toledo Early College High School which is operated by Toledo Public Schools.
Voucher availability adds per capita funding for public schools. If a school district has 10 children attending, and two use a voucher, that leaves eight students. None of the local funding goes with the two departing students, leaving more per capita funding at the public school. Vouchers also reduce the number of students attending the public school that are not a good fit. This helps the staff and remaining students.
My wife and I reside in Perrysburg with our five children, ages 17-27. They graduated from Rossford Public, Penta County, St John’s Jesuit and Eagle Academy Charter School. The youngest will graduate from Quaker Digital Academy.
Can one school meet the needs of every child?
My one son has ADD, was overweight and had been bullied. He hated school. At the end of his junior year at Perrysburg High School, he told us he no longer wanted to attend school. We told him we would check out other schools. We found Eagle Academy. He ended up graduating early. A few months later, he told us he wanted to enroll in college. He is doing better in college than he did in high school.
Eagle Academy has a different approach to education which was best for my son. The change to changed his life.
My daughter left PHS in the middle of her junior year. She was on the honor roll. She enrolled at Quaker Digital Academy. She is doing great academically and she is a lot less anxious. Her stomach isn’t in knots. She did well academically but didn’t feel safe at Perrysburg Schools. At Quaker Digital Academy, she is doing well academically and feels safe.
If your child was struggling, would you want them to languish or have the chance to find a better fit?
David Desser
Perrysburg
