Group marches on Mercer in opposition to school vouchers

May 24—MERCER — Community members worried about the impact of a potential school voucher bill gathered in the heart of Mercer on Saturday morning to share their concerns.

"It's such a sloppy piece of legislation," said Aaron Chapin, vice president of the Pennsylvania State Education Associaiton.

He was one of several who spoke to a crowd of about two dozen people as part of an informational march regarding House Bill 2169.

The event was organized by PSEA members, and it started in the parking lot next to the district judge's office, concluding with a march around the courthouse.

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed the bill, which now moves on to the Senate — they reconvene on May 23.

The bill would take funding away from public schools and redirect it to private schools, several attendees said.

"I think it's terrible for our school districts," said Amanda McGee, a Sharon teacher who is president-elect of the district's teachers' union and president of the Mercer County Coordinating Council, a group for local school union leaders.

The voucher bill provides no oversight for the people who would be receiving the funds — like parents who send their kids to private schools, she said.

The bill also doesn't have the proper requirements in place to show and track academic progress.

Everyone should care about this bill, even if they don't have school-aged children; this is about the basics of education, McGee said.

Deborah Roberson, a member of Sharon School Board and a retired Farrell teacher, said that public schools depend on the state for a lot of funding that's already in danger of being chipped away.

"In the end, our students will suffer," said Roberson, one of multiple educators in the crowd.

"An educated society is what we need here," said Lorna Slater of Grove City.

As the guest speakers continued, local PSEA member Judy Hines rang the bell that she used on the steps of the Capitol Building in Harrisburg on March 4, 2001, when she spoke out against a similar voucher bill.

Mercer County Commissioner Tim McGonigle, who previously served on Hermitage School Board and has several educators in his family, said the voucher bill would take away valuable resources.

McGonigle is running for state Rep. Mark Longietti's seat, which covers the 7th District; both men are Democrats.

Longietti, who is retiring, also attended the march, thanking teachers for making a real difference in so many lives.

"This voucher bill is an assault on public education," he said.

It's time to "fight tooth and nail" against putting money into an system with no accountability.

All kids deserve a world-class education, especially the most vulnerable students, Longietti said.

He is proud that McGonigle is running for his position, but he is disappointed that McGonigle's opponent, Republican state Rep. Parke Wentling, voted in favor of the bill.

Mitch Henderson, who was on the Democratic ticket with McGonigle in the primary election for Longietti's seat, told the crowd that the voucher bill has no safety net, adding that his parents are public school teachers.

Wentling and Republican Tim Bonner, who is seeking another term as state representative of the 17th District, need to know that their votes won't go unseen, Henderson said.

Bonner also voted in favor of the bill.

There's a similar "voucher scheme" in Oklahoma where funds are sent to the parents instead of being spent directly on education; it's difficult to confirm that money is spent on educational expenses, Chapin said.

If Doug Mastriano becomes Pennsylvania's next governor, the voucher bill will be a "done deal," though Gov. Tom Wolf has said it would die on his desk, Chapin said.

Write to or call your state senators to encourage them to vote against the bill, McGee said.