Two more schools to accept vouchers

St. Peter’s in Fort Wayne and St. Peter–Immanuel in Decatur have joined the growing number of The Lutheran Schools participating in the Indiana Choice Scholarship Program. Other schools participating include Concordia, Woodburn, Suburban Bethlehem, Lutheran South Unity, St. John in Kendallville, Emmaus, Ascension, St. Paul’s, and Concordia Lutheran High School.Choice Scholarships—also known as vouchers—enable families that meet financial-eligibility guidelines to choose accredited nonpublic schools for their children. The scholarship amount represents the money allocated by the state to educate a student in a public school. Families below the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Income Guidelines are eligible to receive a scholarship for 90 percent of state tuition support (based on the funding level in their school district of residence). This income level is around $40,000 for a family of four.Families below 150 percent of the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Income Guidelines are eligible to receive a voucher for 50 percent of state tuition support. This income level is around $60,000 for a family of four.Another stipulation is that a student was enrolled in a public school for the previous two semesters before he or she can receive a voucher to attend a nonpublic school. After 7,500 scholarships were available in the state for this school year, 15,000 will be available for 2012–13.“Most of our schools took a wait-and-see approach to accepting vouchers for the 2011–2012 school year,” says Mark Muehl, director of The Lutheran Schools Partnership. “Because there were legal challenges to overcome, the Choice Scholarship Program wasn’t actually a reality until we were well into our enrollment season.“With the voucher program firmly in place for the 2012–2013 school year, however, we’re encouraging families to investigate this outstanding opportunity to provide their children with a high-quality, Christ-centered education at one of The Lutheran Schools,” Muehl adds. For more information on how your child can benefit from the Choice Scholarship Program, contact Muehl at (260) 241-4845 or markm@tlspartnership.org.