St. James vying to be voucher school

St. James Lutheran School in Shawano has joined the competition to become one of the state’s taxpayer-supported voucher schools.

Principal Susan Longmire sent a letter this week to parents of currently enrolled students encouraging them to go to the Department of Public Instruction website to see whether they qualify for a voucher and fill out a voucher application.

“To be selected as one of the voucher schools, we must be in the top 25 schools with the most voucher enrollees,” Longmire said.

Schools participating in the program receive a state aid payment for each eligible student on behalf of the student’s parent or guardian.

Longmire said the school is committed to opening its classrooms to everyone, regardless of their financial situation. The school has given out around $40,000 in financial assistance to families unable to afford the school’s tuition, she said.

Longmire said the school hasn’t had to turn anyone away.

“I can’t think of anyone we haven’t been able to help financially,” she said.

But state vouchers would free up some of that scholarship money to help other students and their families, Longmire said.

“It could possibly open it up to more families in the community and the congregation,” she said.

The school has 153 students in kindergarten through eighth grade, and another 38 enrolled in 3- and 4-year-old kindergarten.

“We still have some empty seats,” Longmire said. “Not a lot, but we still have some.”

Longmire said the attempt at becoming a voucher school is not any reflection on the Shawano School District.

“This is not meant to be a competition,” she said. “We have a good public school system.”

However, she said, it could give some public school students “an opportunity to learn about Jesus.”

Longmire said parents need to have that choice.

“Families are shopping around more,” she said. “They’re looking for a place that reflects their morals and their values.”

Last year, 48 private schools and school systems — mostly Catholic or Lutheran — registered and met the requirements to become voucher schools. Because of a 500-student enrollment cap on the statewide program only 25 were chosen.

The registration period in the race to run up the highest voucher enrollment tallies runs from Feb. 1 to April 20.