Douglas County Schools Voucher Program Faces Hurdles
CASTLE ROCK, Colo. (CBS4)- Just three months after its approval, the Douglas County School District's voucher program faces some hurdles. Lawsuits have been filed, aimed at derailing the program.
The American Civil Liberties Union, Taxpayers for Public Education and Americans United for Separation of Church and State have filed lawsuits. The organizations claim the voucher program uses taxpayer dollars to pay for students to attend private schools, which violates Colorado's constitution.
Each of the 495 students currently in the voucher program are scheduled to receive nearly $5,000 in taxpayer money. The ACLU said that money should stay in Douglas County.
"We are going to ask the court to put a stop to this misguided scheme before it goes any further," said ACLU spokesman Mark Silverstein.
The school board, which unanimously voted in favor of the voucher program, said they stand behind their decision and intend to fight.
"We believe that what we're doing is in the best interest of the kids of douglas county and the state of colorado and will help to ensure that they all get a better education," said Douglas County Schools Board of Education spokesman John Carson.
Taxpayer money will be used to fight the lawsuits. The district said there is a fund set up for legal issues.
