FT. WAYNE JOURNAL GAZZETTE

Published:  July 27, 2009   Virtual school should be option

According to the news story, "Charter schools set for online trial run" (July 19), the state teachers union's lobbyist worries that virtual charter schools will grow and take money from the conventional public schools. No doubt many parents would welcome that kind of expansion of choice, the union's worst nightmare, even though the Indiana legislature limited the new cyber-charter enrollment to 200 in the coming school year and 500 in the next one.

Charter schools offering online instruction are an increasingly popular option across the country. Indiana lawmakers styled their pilot program to help children in special circumstances, such as those with medical problems, but there is no reason this opportunity should not be available to all families who want it.

Charter schools save taxpayers money by operating for three-fourths to one-half the support from public treasuries as conventional public schools.

ROBERT HOLLAND Senior Fellow for Education Policy The Heartland Institute Chicago