Chapter 220 can save financially ailing schools

The 220 program was established some 18 years ago to promote voluntary integration into our public educational system. The suburban school districts agreed to the program because of the threat of being sued by a group of people that felt our educational system should be the cure-all for society's ills. As it has turned out over the years, the program has become a financial fiasco and has not met its goal.

The supporters will tend to have you believe the contrary. They laud its educational improvements, yet depending on which study you review, we have to ask if it is really even accomplishing that goal. Granted the children who participate in the program learn together in the classrooms, but what happens when they are away from the environment of those rooms? One would only have to visit our schools to find out the answer. Swendrowski

The professional politicians, the legal system, and liberal educators insist the children are the ones who will stamp out the ills of a problem that has existed for hundreds of years. It is easier for them to place the burden of change and cure on the children. They will not admit that the responsibility for correcting the problem lies within society. The costs affiliated with the program are the only burden they have placed on society.

Special interests will have you believe it is not costing anything to participate, yet no matter what pocket it comes from, tax dollars support the program. The overwhelming majority of the funds are being earmarked for transportation, not education. Evidently, the bureaucrats believe being on a bus for two to three hours a day is educationally redeeming.

Would a taxpayer revolt be justified if those funds were used to improve our educational system? No. Just imagine if the almost $1 billion that has been spent during the existence of 220 were funneled into our ailing school systems. What could have been achieved? What you have seen during its existence is the suburban and Milwaukee Public Schools systems requesting dollars from the taxpayers by means of a referendum to replace old and dilapidated schools, to expand current schools due to overcrowding problems, and for equipment purchases. Why? The reason is that since initiation of the program, the MPS system sold or demolished a number of their schools because the suburban schools were taking thousands of Milwaukee students.

Now the suburban schools are overcrowded because of increased enrollments, and it is costing those districts millions to expand. The taxpayers' response to such referenda requests has been a resounding, "no," even in Milwaukee. Have the children been affected by those nos? They have unfortunately, but the taxpayers now require more accountability and are demanding that the priority be funds for education only, not funds for programs like the 220.

The supporters of 220 and the bureaucrats, insist the program should continue. They are not willing to look at alternatives such as neighborhood schools, school choice and charter schools. I agree with state Rep. Annette Polly Williams' opinion of the 220 program: The program is a financial folly and does little, if anything, to promote integration. I also share her other opinion: Society should shoulder the responsibility of improving integration. Only then will we have the opportunity of being able to accomplish the goal of every parent and school: to unite in achieving one common purpose, the improvement of education for our children.

If the 220 program is allowed to continue, we would all be guilty of failing to provide for the true needs of our children. The common-sense approach is to dissolve the Chapter 220 program voluntarily and to use those energies and funds toward providing an education that is equal to all children, no matter what school they attend.

Bob Swendrowski is a parent and Whitnall School Board member.

Copyright 1995
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