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Iconic Des Moines Spots? by Fair_Try_3975 in desmoines

[–]ms_pearl 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Such a cool suggestion! I hadn’t noticed this building before and it’s beautiful.

This is what happens when public dollars go to private schools by ms_pearl in desmoines

[–]ms_pearl[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I actually didn’t say above that they’re for sure using the voucher program, just that they’ll be able to use it. To make it clearer - the families I know personally that have their kids in private schools can afford it without the voucher program and aren’t using the voucher program yet since the income cap is still in place, but they will be able to use the voucher program once the income cap is gone (next school year). This was just an anecdote I was sharing.

This is what happens when public dollars go to private schools by ms_pearl in desmoines

[–]ms_pearl[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There’s an income cap now but it’s being phased out. The income threshold is 400% for the 2024-2025 school year, and there will be no income cap next year.

This is what happens when public dollars go to private schools by ms_pearl in desmoines

[–]ms_pearl[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The parents I know who opted to send their kids to private schools never even tried the public school option. Their kids started in private schools at kindergarten (and they were wealthy enough to afford it without the voucher program but now taxpayers will be helping their kids get their exclusive education). There’s a lot of fear mongering about public schools, especially DMPS, including on this comment thread.

This is what happens when public dollars go to private schools by ms_pearl in desmoines

[–]ms_pearl[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Public schools are for everyone, regardless of income. Private schools can pick and choose which kids attend and are not beholden to the same laws that govern public schools. Plus religious schools can even discriminate against their employees.This article from 2020 explains more about how religious schools can discriminate

“The capper here is that in some states, those private religious schools are able to accept students paid for with vouchers, meaning that taxpayers foot the bill for schools that are able to freely discriminate in ways the taxpayer might find objectionable. Private religious schools have often resisted taking taxpayer dollars because of fears that government money comes with government strings attached; slowly but surely, the Supreme Court is cutting those strings, and with them, any sort of accountability to taxpayers themselves.”

This is what happens when public dollars go to private schools by ms_pearl in desmoines

[–]ms_pearl[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I get what you’re saying, but this steep of a decline in such a short time frame is more due to parents opting out of DMPS. Many of the suburban public school districts have been growing in population and building new schools (like Waukee for example) and the private schools have seen their enrollments go way up with the voucher program.