Vicki Voldal Rosenau

Valley City

Our North Dakota public schools are under attack. The attackers are the pro-privatization legislators who are pushing for a radical change to our state’s educational system that will have dire consequences, especially for small and rural communities.

Forcing all taxpayers to fund private and charter schools would drain public resources. Worse, it would drastically damage North Dakota’s small-town way-of-life, and likely force the closure of small public schools that serve as the hearts of our communities.

Some privatization promoters are spreading lies about our public schools. Let’s set the record straight with two key, documented facts:

1. FACT: North Dakota’s public schools rank among the best in the nation, with strong academic performance and national recognition.

2. FACT: Our public schools already offer a wide range of innovative education-choice options and have the capacity to efficiently expand opportunities, all within the public system — without diverting any funds to private or charter facilities.

Three bills – SB2400, HB1540, and SB2241 – are still being pushed. They would divert public tax dollars into private entities, undermining our public school system.

Lawmakers pushing these bills are ignoring the clear will of North Dakotans; they know that at least 68% oppose this misuse of taxpayer dollars. We must stand firm in protecting our public schools, and demand that legislators defeat all the voucher/Education-Savings-Account bills.

At this point, it feels as if a chunk of our tax dollars and a critical piece of our lifestyle are being taken from us against our will. That is flat-out wrong.