School District of Cheltenham Township Resolution Regarding School Vouchers Whereas, the School District of Cheltenham Township (“the District") is comprised of the Cheltenham ‘Township municipality and serves approximately 4,460 students in grades Kindergarten through 12%, and; Whereas, the District draws on its cultural richness, creativity, and tradition of scholastic excellence in striving fo nurture each child through a wealth of academic endeavors and community partnerships that provide the skills and vision needed to lead a productive and meaningful life beyond our classroom walls, and; Whereas, the general assembly has a constitutional responsibility to provide a free and appropriate public education to all students, and; Whereas, the proposed “Opportunity Scholarship” legislation demands accountability only from traditional public schools, and; Whereas, private and religious schools receiving taxpayer funded “Opportunity Scholarships” would have no accountability for assessing or reporting how those public funds are being spent, or for operating under state Sunshine Laws, or for assessing or reporting student test scores and academic performance to the State of Pennsylvania, the Federal government or the public, and; Whereas, the District Board of School Directors will hold the state Legislature and individuals accountable for actions that legislators take which create or increase inadequately funded mandates and/or force school districts to raise taxes, and; Whereas, there is little or no evidence that either charter schools or vouchers are systematically more effective in improving student achievement than traditional public schools, and; Whereas, the District Board of School Directors believes that constitutional restraints must be upheld and that “School Choice” programs impose direct financial hardships on its taxpayers by reducing funds available to public schools, and; Whereas, Commonwealth funding should be provided to support the costs of public school choice initiatives ONLY after the state fulfills its commitment to adequacy and equity; and, Whereas, it is impossible to identify, allocate, or reduce the specific costs of a single student, when District cosis include debt service, extracurricular programs and special education mandates that apply more globally to the student population; Be it therefore RESOLVED; the Board of School Directors of the School District of Cheltenham Township opposes legislation that would provide direct financial aid to, or tuition tax credits or vouchers for, residents of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania enrolled in nonpublic schools or such that could divert, condition or restrict funding from existing federal or state programs, and opposes any legislation that undermines the District's right to adopt policies regarding the use of District assets by students not enrolled in the District's public schools. RESOLVED, January 11, 2011 SCHOOL DISTRICT OF CHELTENHAM TOWNSHIP Vee Ma bs Tina Viletto, President ATTEST: By: Eileen Wolf, Board Secretary