Prep moneyball: Vouchers can impact sports
Iowa high school athletics could see winners and losers at $7,598 a pop
Numbers have always been a big part of the Iowa high school sports scene. A new figure entered the playbook Tuesday — $7,598.
That’s the voucher amount projected per student in the Students First Act signed into law by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds.
The concept is families who want to choose a private school education can qualify for a state-sponsored subsidy: “…parents who enroll their eligible children in an accredited private school will receive an amount equal to the per pupil funds allocated by the state to all public school districts each year. The funds are estimated at $7,598 per pupil for the 2023-2024 school year and will be deposited into an education savings account (ESA) to be used for tuition, fees, and other qualified education expenses,” according to a press release from the governor’s office.
My question is this: How could this potentially affect sports?
I asked two notable Iowa high school activity directors to share their views: Tom Wilson of West Des Moines Dowling Catholic and Aaron Stecker of Cedar Rapids Kennedy.
Football is one sport that could be impacted by the state’s Education Savings Account program. (Photo by John Naughton.)
Many of Iowa’s private schools have created successful athletic programs. Wilson has coached eight state champion football teams at Dowling, including a run of seven in a row. Western Christian of Hull is one of the great dynasties in volleyball and boys’ basketball. Waterloo Columbus is a regular title team in girls’ tennis.
Will the ESA program provide an extra incentive to some athletes to switch from public to private schools? You bet.
“I don’t think there’s any question,” Wilson said.
Stecker, who oversees athletics at one of the state’s top public school programs, said he doesn’t begrudge families who are making educational decisions for their children.
However, the so-called voucher program could further create gaps between haves and have nots — some students may switch schools with athletes as part of the decision-making process.
“It has the potential to widen that gap where there’s always been one,” Stecker said.
Let’s also consider what’s happening in football this month, too. The State Board of Education approved a socioeconomic factor for football classifications starting in 2023-24, according to the Iowa High School Athletic Association.
Wilson said he thinks the educational savings plan will make its biggest impact at the elementary school level, since the amount could go a long way to paying tuition and expenses.
At Dowling, the current annual costs for students is $9,500 for students who attend a Catholic church; the total is $12,500 for non-Catholic students.
A check from the state could offset a portion of a student’s fees, or give children opportunities to attend a school they couldn’t afford without the aid.
No matter how much the cash flow changes sports, we can look at the state championship performance of Iowa’s private schools and see the success.
A look at the numbers from the 2021-22 school year:
*Private schools won 14 state titles, in 10 sports.
*Nine schools won at least one state team championship: Burlington Notre Dame, Dowling Catholic, Cedar Rapids Xavier, Algona Garrigan, Des Moines Christian, Davenport Assumption, Don Bosco (Gilbertville), Waterloo Columbus, Iowa City Regina. Notre Dame won two, Dowling three, Xavier two, Garrigan two. Don Bosco won both the state traditional and dual wrestling titles.
*Last fall, private school won an additional nine team championships: Volleyball (four), boys' cross country (three), football (two). Winners included Western Christian of Hull, Remsen St. Mary and Ankeny Christian -- meaning that 12 private schools have won crowns in this tally.
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