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SCHOOL VOUCHERS RAISE QUESTIONS IN NATIONíS CAPITAL By : Kristina Brito

.	School choice will be a private one in Washington D.C. if Republicans get their way. The House approved the D.C. school voucher plan, which would help pay for poor children in Washington to attend private or religious schools. President Clinton has threatened to veto the bill if he receives it, which would prove Democrats loyalty to teacher unions. According to CNN News, the bill is part of a long-term effort by Republicans to destroy public education. Although the bill is limited to D.C., the issue of school vouchers is much larger. Peter Stillman, professor of political science at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY, agrees that school vouchers are a very complex issue. "I do think that some sort of school choice is important, but I do not see why it has to take the form of subsidizing people who send their kids to private schools," said Stillman. According to CNN News, the bill authorizes vouchers of up to $3,200 for 2,000 poor children to attend the school of their choice. Another 2,000 would receive financial aid of up to $500 for tutors and other afterschool aids. "In D.C., they are likely, atleast at first, to help primarily the rich whites in Northwest Washington, who already send their kids to private schools," said Stillman. The bill calls the vouchers "opportunity scholarships", but only a select group of students will receive the vouchers. The children would be chosen by lottery. "My guess is also that atleast the first round of private schools that pop up will be sheer attempts at money making and not very good educationally," said Stillman. According to CNN News, the bill would take away badly needed funds from the improvement of public schools. It would cost approximately $7 million the first year and $25 million over three years. "Vouchers would mean more kids in more private schools, which helps the private schools and punishes the public schools," said Stillman. Vernon Vavrina, associate professor of political science at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY, said he does not believe that the vouchers will punish the public schools. "Having lived in D.C. for many years, I think that the experiment is worth it," said Vavrina. "I certainly do not think it will make things worse." House Majority Leader, Dick Armey, told CNN News that the GOP bill is about 2,000 poor children who can escape from the country's worst public schools. Instead of escaping public schools with vouchers, Stillman suggests another method. "What about a form of school choice that meant that, instead of your kids having to go to school in whose district they are, they could go to the school within a 15 mile radius," said Stillman. "This would create competition among public schools to offer better public education." According to CNN News, supporters of the bill say that the capital's schools would benefit from reduced enrollment in the public schools as a result of the vouchers. In this way, everyone would win. "I think the state of education in the United States is so bad now that we have to be imaginative," said Vavrina. "Let's try vouchers." Although Vavrina believes that vouchers are a good idea because of the current state of education in the United States, others like Stillman believe that the vouchers will only benefit the rich. "Vouchers also are a subsidy to the rich who already send their kids to private schools," said Stillman. "Vouchers also will create a new class of entrepreneurial private schools." Although this bill pertains only to the D.C. area, privately supported programs have sprung up around the country. Currently, state experiments with school choice are underway in Cleveland and Milwaukee. Last fall, the House rejected a bill to test vouchers in selected poor districts around the country.	.