Education leaders have renewed their debate about Wisconsin’s private voucher school programs. That’s after state officials reported an eight-percent increase in kids with tax vouchers, as 36-thousand-250 of them attend private schools this fall. Jim Bender of School Choice Wisconsin says there’s a growing demand for vouchers, as parents cite reasons like better academics and a safer environment at the private schools — and he expects those enrollments to keep growing. But Tom McCarthy of the state’s public education agency tells Wisconsin Public Radio there’s a question of whether we can afford it. The D-P-I says the total vouchers cost 270-million dollars, 25-million more than last year — and as the voucher program grows, McCarthy says home schoolers will someday get state money, too.
