Ind. poised to lead nation in school voucher use

Sunday, October 13, 2013

In this Aug. 12, 2011 photo, a sign encouraging students to enroll using school vouchers sits at Our Lady of Hungary Catholic School on the west side of South Bend, Ind. For the first time, Indiana is offering public tax dollars to help pay private school tuition for families that meet income guidelines. (AP Photo/Joe Raymond)

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October 13, 2013 (INDIANAPOLIS) -- Interest in Indiana's three-year-old school voucher program is so high that the state could soon lead the nation in voucher use.

More than 20,000 students have signed up for vouchers for the 2013-14 school year. That's more than double last year's number.

The Indianapolis Star reports (http://indy.st/19pCguh ) the numbers put Indiana second in the nation for use of the vouchers. Milwaukee has more than 24,000 students enrolled in its program and Ohio has just under 16,000. Both of those programs grew slowly over many years.

The vouchers give qualifying families public money to offset tuition at private schools. The amount a student receives depends on the family's income and the school district. The maximum is $4,700 for elementary school students.

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