Despite repeatedly being defeated, an idea that is unwanted and unwelcome by Oklahomans has returned once again. Vouchers, often disguised as tax credits or, in this situation, an "Equal Opportunity Scholarship," are again being considered by the Oklahoma legislature to siphon money from the budget from public to private schools.

This is unacceptable. Public dollars for public schools is a foundational tenet for this state.

“The Legislature shall establish and maintain a system of free public schools wherein all the children of the State may be educated.” — Okla. Const. art. XIII, § 1

When our tax dollars go to private schools, not only are we subsidizing families that largely already attend private school at the expense of our public education system, there is no regulatory oversight on how that money is used.

No academic accountability. No financial accountability. No public data. No limit.

These schemes gain traction through the lie that public schools and its educators are failing students.

We know educators have shown tremendous dedication, sacrifice, ingenuity, flexibility, and compassion for the children of Oklahoma, especially this past year. If anyone has failed our students, it is leaders who continue to search for ways to tear down public schools, rather than build them up.

The state's $10,475 per pupil expenditure places Oklahoma 47th nationally and dead last in the region in financial support for its public schools.

Public schools serve over 90% of Oklahoma families in all 77 counties in the state. Private schools sell their services to a small percentage of students and are only available in 25 counties. These vouchers will hurt our rural and underserved communities the most.

While providing no data to support their claim, proponents of vouchers often say these tax credits are helpful for minority families in under-resourced areas and provide them with a new opportunity. In fact, in places like Ohio that have five voucher programs already on the books, the results have not shown that to be the case.

"It actually has the impact of making the segregation of our school system even worse. The majority of voucher recipients are white kids and the majority of the kids who continue at our local public schools are students of color," said Ohio Education Association President Scott DiMauro.

"In many cases, the kids receiving vouchers haven't spent a single day in our public schools. We are subsidizing families that would have been sending their kids to private schools anyway."

The data also shows that the students who do leave public schools for private schools through a voucher or tax credit do not see their academics improve.

The Cincinnati Enquirer recently did a very detailed analysis of voucher programs in the state. They found that in nine of 10 cases across the Buckeye State, students who were voucher recipients attending private schools have lower test scores than the kids in the public schools where they come from.

While Oklahoma has worked effectively to combat these voucher schemes here, we must stay diligent.

Tell your legislators if they do not wish to make the same mistakes as Ohio, they must support our students by keeping public dollars in public schools.