Republican lawmaker plans to champion school vouchers

CARSON CITY – Once again, a Republican lawmaker will attempt to pass a school choice bill at the Legislature over the expected strong opposition of Democrats.

Assemblyman Ira Hansen, R-Sparks, requested this week that legislative staff lawyers draw up a bill that would give parents half of what the state now spends to send each student to public schools. Parents then could use the money, about $2,600, to send their children to private or parochial schools.

The bill probably would precipitate a partisan battle at the legislative session, which starts in February.

Hansen, a Mormon father of eight who has sent his children to Catholic schools in Reno, said he paid annual tuition of about $9,000 per child. So the voucher parents would receive would not come near the total cost of private or religious school instruction.

"I did it because I wanted to get the best education possible for my kids," said Hansen, who owns a plumbing company. "A lot of public school teachers also are sending their children to private schools. We are rock bottom in education. Parents need options."

The national Kids Count survey last week ranked Nevada worst in the nation for education quality. In overall rankings for the well-being of children, only Mississippi and New Mexico ranked worse than Nevada.

One in four Nevada children lives in poverty, according to the survey.

Because of Democratic opposition during the 2011 Legislature, Gov. Brian Sandoval did not even receive a hearing on his proposal to change the state constitution and allow vouchers to be used by parents to send their children to private or religious schools. A similar proposal by Sen. Michael Roberson, R-Las Vegas, was heard but never came up for a Senate vote.

The state constitution specifies public funds may not be used for "sectarian" purposes. That has been interpreted to mean the state cannot spend money on religious schools. But Hansen’s argument is that the parent receiving the voucher, not the state, would give the money to a religious school.

Hansen conceded his proposal probably will fail if Democrats keep control of both houses of the Legislature. Democrats now control the Senate 11-10 and the Assembly 26-16.

Lynn Warne, president of the Nevada State Education Association, contended Tuesday that a voucher system to allow parents to send their children to private or public schools would damage an already underfunded public school system.

"It would undermine public schools in Nevada," Warne said. "You are taking money from a public school system that serves students of all socio-economic backgrounds. There are options for parents … charter schools, magnet schools. If you want to send children to a faith-based school, you can. It’s your choice, but don’t take money from the public schools."

Warne also called Hansen’s plan constitutionally questionable. Hansen conceded that could be true but said the constitution should be changed. That process would take five years, needing legislative approval in 2013 and 2015 and then voter approval in 2016.

"We need to put heat on the public schools so their performance rises," Hansen said. "The teachers union would rather we remain a mediocre system. If we could get education back to where it was in the ’50s and ’60s, then my type of bill would be less common."

Contact Capital Bureau Chief Ed Vogel at evogel@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.