Sen. Standridge Files Private School Voucher Bill

  A Major new legislative initiative was recently filed by Sen. Rob Standridge. It creates a scholarship specifically for Oklahoma public school students who attest that their religious liberties are offended by their local public school.

• The new law provides a scholarship for the parents to put toward the approved private school of their choice. The parents assume all other financial obligations of the private school enrollment. 
• The scholarship is comparable to the current state funding levels for public schools. 
• Local funding of public schools is not affected by this new law.
• Only students currently enrolled in Oklahoma public schools for 1 year or more, are eligible.
• The deadline for transfers is Dec. 1st.

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  This initiative allows private schools to have essentially the same standing as Oklahoma Charter schools. The funding appears to be close to comparable.  But the qualifying 'trigger' is limited to only 
  Section 2A says;

There is hereby created the Religious Freedom Scholarship Program to provide a scholarship to an eligible private school of choice for students who have concerns related to their free exercise of religion..

  What will quickly arise is a large group of parents who've struggled to pay their kids' tuitions for years, and would then be forced to put those same kids back into public schools for a school year, in order to claim an affront to religious liberties, in order to qualify for some just relief.
  Most informed parents already do the sensible research of local schools before entrusting their precious children into the district's care. The schools already have reputations for how they treat the family's convictions. Most local churches are very aware of the problematic local schools. Many of those same churches have been instrumental in developing alternative education options for the congregants.
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Section 2C says;

C. The parent or legal guardian of a public school student may exercise their parental option and request to have a Religious Freedom Scholarship awarded for the student to enroll in and attend a private school in accordance with this section, and the scholarship shall be awarded if: 1. The student has spent the prior year in attendance at a public school in this state. For purposes of this section, "prior school year in attendance" means that the student was enrolled in and reported by a school district for funding purposes during the preceding school year..

  This option will end up benefitting those who have a serious problem with their public schools but have not been able/willing to go a different route for education.  Perhaps the reason is purely an economic limitation? 
​  But will the 1 year requirement of public school instruction prior to getting a scholarship(voucher) effectively entice parents to subject their kids to a dangerous environment?