Letter to the editor: Say 'no' to Lifeline Scholarships

Sen. Kim Ward wants to fast-track Lifeline Scholarships (vouchers) for students to attend private and religious schools. She claims schools need accountability and that it’s senseless to dump more dollars into schools with failing test scores.

Here’s the question: Will she hold Lifeline Scholarship schools academically accountable?

Her care about student success rings hollow. For two decades, cyber charter schools have been failing students while draining school districts of millions of dollars. Despite bipartisan support for change, the Legislature has taken no steps to cut or revise cyber funding or to audit cyber spending.

My own school district, Ligonier Valley, paid out $217,216.51 in May ($1.6 million in academic year 2022-23) to 10 different cyber charters. All 10’s test scores are failing in every subject area. Worse, the cyber with the lowest test scores spent 75,000 tax dollars on Philadelphia Phillies baseball entertainment for enrollees and their families.

This is flagrant misuse of taxpayer funds. Now Ward, with Gov. Josh Shapiro’s support, proposes vouchers to put more students in schools that may have no academic or fiscal accountability.

Call your legislators and the governor now. Say “no” to Lifeline Scholarships.

Helen Sitler

Ligonier