LETTER: School choice in Nevada would only help the rich

In response to Victor Joecks’ column, “This is how you fix education in Nevada”: I find it ironic that a conservative columnist who regards himself as a tax policy watchdog and opposes funding for critical services — such as health care and education — has no problem funding private schools for the wealthy. In Mr. Joecks’ own words, “the Education Freedom PAC filed a constitutional amendment to create ‘education freedom accounts.’ Those accounts would receive funding comparable to what Nevada spends on a child in public school, around $7,000.”

What he doesn’t mention is that those accounts would need to be created for all Nevada students. including those already attending or starting at private schools or home-schooling. That would mean the state would have to hit Nevada taxpayers with more than $300 million in new taxes to fund the wealthy kids already in private schools or cut $650 per pupil at public district and charter schools to pay for it.

While we find a new welfare for the wealthy tax to be a tough sell to right-wing conservatives (or anyone, for that matter), it seems they have no problem gutting public schools, including charters, which apparently have become the “choice” they are willing to sacrifice and punish in favor of private schools. Whichever it is, it’s not going to be a solution that benefits most parents, as private schools often cost more than the state’s per-pupil funding, can discriminate against certain students and tend to be concentrated in the wealthier parts of town.

We know who these vouchers are for, and it’s not the working-class Nevada family.