The Choice for Public School: An Investigation into the Failure of Low-Income African-American Parents to Utilize School Vouchers in the Cleveland School District

Abstract

Cleveland, Ohio has one of the longest running voucher programs in the United States. The program began in 1995 by offering tuition scholarships and tuition assistance to students for $2,250. The program was implemented to give low-income and minority students an opportunity to select a school of their choice. In a review of the literature on school vouchers, it is suggested that minorities, specifically, African Americans, choose public schools over private. The research also indicates the majority of the students using vouchers do not fit the low-income/ minority profile. This study examines the reasons why low-income and minority parents fail to utilize vouchers in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.

Interviews were held in the city of Cleveland with seven parents that agreed to participate in the research study. The parents were asked a series of questions to determine their opinions and feelings regarding public school, private and Catholic schools, and their neighborhood school. A qualitative analysis was prepared of the data to present a consensus of the minority parents' attitudes and responses.