By Robert Barron, Staff Writer
Enid News and Eagle
ENID —
State Sen. Patrick Anderson has been invited to speak to a national conference sponsored by Foundation for Excellence in Education.
Anderson, R-Enid, will speak Wednesday about the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship, which ensures greater opportunities for special-needs students. The scholarship, passed by the Oklahoma Legislature and signed by Gov. Brad Henry, was named for the infant daughter of the governor and his wife, Kim, who died from a rare neuromuscular disease.
The scholarship allows public dollars to fund private educational opportunities for special needs children of single-parent or low-income households. Anderson said the bill came about as a result of parents of special needs students looking for assistance to find education alternatives. It is modeled after the McKay Scholarships created in Florida by then-Gov. Jeb Bush.
“It has been highly successful at improving test scores of special needs children in both public and private schools,” Anderson said.
The scholarship allows parents to take the money the state pays for education of their child and use it to put the child in a private school rather than keeping the child in a public school.
“The money is actually attached to the child,” Anderson said. “If they are never enrolled in Enid Public Schools, the school would never have the money to begin with. The parents can take the child to an accredited private school.”
He said the scholarship should not make a difference to the local school budget because it is money the school only gets if the child is enrolled. If a child is home-schooled or attends a private school, the public school would not have the money anyway.
“The whole idea is for parents to do what is best for their child,” Anderson said.
He said if a public school does not have the best program for a child, people who do not have the money are denied the opportunity to do what is best for their child because they cannot afford to send their child to a private school.
“Wealthy parents already have options. This will help make sure kids reach their potential,” Anderson said. “Oklahoma’s legislation will be highlighted as a way of ensuring all students, including those with special needs, have the best education possible.
“I’m honored to be asked to be there because other folks there are true leaders in education reform across the country. The fact that this legislation is in the national spotlight shows we’re on to something. The bottom line is ensuring special needs students can take advantage of programs that best suit their specific needs, whether they are in a public or private school setting.”
The loss of funds would make little difference to the Enid Public Schools budget said Amber Graham Fitzgerald, director of school and community relations.
“The concern for us is not the money,” she said. “We believe we provide the best service and so want to keep them in the district, so the money is not the priority. The students are the priority.”
