With Highlands Ranch turning 30 this year, one of the more pressing issues for many parents is the Douglas County School Board’s recent shift in philosophy. A new superintendent, at the urging of a conservative coalition of newly elected board members, is implementing a controversial school voucher program aimed at increasing state funding, and encouraging more to attend area private schools.
The school board is calling the voucher program a “scholarship fund,” and claims the main idea is to help parents find the best fit for their students through the promotion of more educational options.
“Greater choice meets the desires of parents, and improves the quality of education by fostering innovation and competition,” board president John Carson stated on the district website. “Students have different learning needs and styles and benefit from a variety of choices in schools and in curriculum.”
Some see the move as a politically motivated mission to disempower the teachers union, and ultimately create a decentralized school system in the name of reform. Curious timing considering a recent district survey found a greater than 90 percent satisfaction rate among parents of public school kids here.
