Navigating the Fog Around School Vouchers

A veritable mailstorm of flyers is arriving on my doorstep from proponents and opponents of Referendum One. So far, this is what I've concluded about the conflicting claims:

What is the average private school tuition – the $8000 claimed by opponents or the $4000 claimed by proponents?

Most of the difference appears to come from whether you use figures for Gr.1-12, or whether you use figures for just elementary school. The opponents are using Gr. 1-12 data. The proponents are using elementary-grade data, although I haven’t yet determined just which grades are included. Tuition at private schools usually rises substantially with grade level, so calculating from different data accounts for most of the $4000 disparity.

Are private schools held to the same accountability standards as public schools?

Depends on what your definition of accountability is. Eligible private schools must

meet financial standards, verified by an audit
have a physical location in Utah where students “attend classes and have direct contact with the school’s teachers” – which may include on-line schools
provide to parents, on request, information on teacher credentials and on what accreditation, if any, the school holds
must have at least 40 students, and cannot operate in a residence

Here is a short list of significant differences that H.B. 148 allows (Section 53A-1a-805)

Private schools must “meet state and local health and safety laws and codes”, but these may be looser codes than the strict fire and safety codes public schools must meet
Private school teachers must “hold baccalaureate or higher degrees OR have special skills, knowledge, or expertise that qualifies them to provide instruction in the subjects taught” – which could be expertise in intelligent design, rather than modern biological theory of evolution
Private schools are not required to provide services to children with disabilities, and if they do, they may charge extra – they merely have to state what they provide up front. OTOH,public schools are required by law to provide services and accomodations to these children