Expanding Douglas County Limits

Douglas County School District pitches voucher program

he Douglas County School District on Tuesday night unveiled a draft of a pilot program for vouchers that calls for up to 500 students participating in the 2011-12 school year. The plan, which would be reviewed yearly, would also increase the number of private schools that could teach Douglas students by expanding to include schools up to 10 miles outside county boundaries. Some residents oppose using public money for a private education, especially for religious schools. Thirteen of the 14 private schools in the district are religious in nature. But the total number of private schools would increase significantly based on the new boundaries. The "choice scholarship" voucher program would give each participant up to 75 percent of the per-pupil state funding, or $4,575, to use only for tuition to attend private school.