Soapbox got school relationships wrong

The authors of the Jan. 16 Saturday Soapbox entry regarding state aid to private schools are wrong, wrong, wrong.

First, the recent aid package hardly constitutes the constitutional crisis that the authors allege.

Indeed, state aid to private schools in the form of transportation, textbook loan money, and participation of private schools in public schools' grant funding has been occurring for years.

Second, while private schools do not have to follow 100 percent of the state's education laws, they do need to adhere to requirements in order to attain accreditation or state recognition.

True, private schools do not have to participate in ISAT or Prairie State or publish a School Report Card. But they do report their results to parents and other stakeholders. And if these results are not good, parents will vote with their feet and choose other options.

True, private schools do not have to enroll any student who comes to their doors. Most private schools, however, do not seek to exclude students but want to ensure that those who are admitted will be successful. It would be unethical for a private school for gifted children to admit an average or below average child, as that child would not be successful in that school.

It would be unethical for a parochial school to admit a child with severe special education needs if that school does not have the resources and expertise to provide that child with an appropriate education.

Third, families who choose private schools are doing the rest of us taxpayers a huge favor by paying into the public school system via their tax dollars while not consuming public school services.

Kim Freitag

Elgin