A new day is dawning under President-elect Donald Trump. There will be money to be made in the free market of education. With Betsy DeVos as secretary of education and her love of school-choice vouchers, it'll be time to cash in.
For example, I plan on opening a school for Muslim children in Grand Forks. I will buy a building and then charge my school outlandish rent. I will control all aspects of everything, so that all the revenue goes to me.
I will not even need to hire real teachers. Why would I, given that the only thing the students will study is that the Quran is all truth and the Bible is all lies?
Best of all, I will use Grand Forks residents' tax dollars to do this with. Some Herald readers might think I can't get away with this. Sorry, but the U.S. Supreme Court says I can. It has ruled that tax dollars can go to religious schools.
OK, this may sound far-fetched. In reality, it is not. Holy Family, Sacred Heart, Shanley High School in Fargo and all other private religious schools will be benefiting in this way. Tax dollars will be siphoned off from public education to private religious and for-profit schools.
ADVERTISEMENT
Here in Arizona, wealthy families are getting around $5,000 per child to send their children to private schools. The plan was to meant to help low-income students attend private schools. Problem was, those families still could not come up with the other $5,000 they needed for tuition.
Sorry, North Dakota, but you voted for it. When this happens and the public schools cut sports or raise mills to cover expenses, remember: this is what you voted for with Trump. Proud of yourselves yet?
Rodney L. Iverson
Chandler, Ariz.
Iverson is a graduate of UND.
