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As a special education teacher in a public school district, I say no to taking money away from public schools.

On Feb. 6, the Education Savings Account for Students Bill was introduced in the Minnesota House. Representatives Peggy Bennett and Patricia Mueller are coauthors of this bill. The bill is basically a school voucher program that takes money away from public schools and gives it to private schools.

Many public school districts already struggle to pay their bills. Rural districts struggle the most. This will make it worse. Public schools need this funding to provide an education to all students, including those with high needs disabilities.

Private schools do not have to follow the same rules. They are not required to provide education to all students. Private schools often find themselves unable to educate students with high needs disabilities. They can and do deny enrollment to these students. Public school districts are required to find ways to educate all students regardless of their needs.

When private schools do include students with disabilities, public school districts are required to provide the staff who provide all the special education testing and services. These include special education teachers, school psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists, physical therapists and speech/language pathologists. Public schools pay for the cost of these services.

The purported goal of the Education Savings Account program is to make private school affordable to low income families. Too often it doesn’t work out this way. Iowa started an Education Savings Account program in 2023. Since then, Iowa private school tuition has increased by 21–24% for kindergarten and 10–16% for grades 1-12 (Brown and Princeton Universities study). This doesn’t make private schools more affordable.

I support the decisions by families who choose to send their students to private schools. I just do not support taking money from underfunded public school districts.

Please contact your representative and tell her that you support public education in Minnesota, and that Education Savings Accounts weaken our public school districts.

Angie Hanson

Albert Lea, MN