Indiana voucher program: 41 more schools, some non-religious join
10:31 PM, Jul. 28, 2012
Written by
Kaellen Hessel
Tim and Kathy Parks knew for years that their son Chakotay,who has autism, would outgrow traditional public school. They also knew that finding a new school for him -- one that would meet his needs and that they could afford -- would be a challenge.
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Indiana's voucher program allows parents to receive thousands of dollars that can be applied toward tuition at private schools that participate in the program. The amount of aid is based on the per-pupil funding the state sets for a student who otherwise would attend public school in his or her local district, so it doesn't necessarily cover all of the private school tuition.
But for a strategy whose primary mission is to provide parents with more choices, one criticism has been that Indiana's program lacks many options other than religious-affiliated schools -- or choices for parents looking for specific expertise.
In that regard, Independence Academy is noteworthy. It is one of 41 additional private schools that decided this year to join the voucher program, and one of the first two nonreligious private schools in Marion County to sign on to it.
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http://www.indystar.com/article/20120728/NEWS04/207280346/Indiana-voucher-program-41-more-schools-some-non-religious-join
