June 27, 2002

Washington, D.C. - The Small Business Survival Committee (SBSC) today praised the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to uphold the constitutionality of school vouchers, and noted that the decision will help to inject some much-needed entrepreneurship into the education field.

SBSC President Darrell McKigney observed: "As we have seen over the years, simply throwing more tax dollars at public schools is not the answer to improving education.  Instead, parents and students need to be empowered with the ability to choose their schools, just as they make any other choice in life.  The Supreme Court was right on target in upholding the constitutionality of school vouchers, and it is our hope that school choice programs will spread across the nation, providing the right to choose among public schools, private institutions and religious schools, just as we now have at the college level."

"As small business owners can tell you, everyone benefits when robust choice and competition are present in the marketplace," added Raymond J. Keating, SBSC's chief economist.  "In too many parts of the country, public education has become a moribund, non-responsive and costly government monopoly.  By moving to school choice, it is our sincere hope that more entrepreneurs enter the education field, and parents and students are treated to a wide array of choices that offer varying standards, curriculum and teaching methodologies."

McKigney concluded: "Like businesses, it is critical that our education institutions focus on serving the consumers, in this case, parents and students.  School choice helps to move the focus off the bureaucracy and protecting the status quo, and putting it back on teaching kids.  The U.S. Supreme Court deserves high praise."

SBSC is a nonpartisan, nonprofit small business advocacy group