“That is one reason the tax credit program rankles public education advocates.

“’It’s only going to provide education to a very small number of students,’ Patrick Woods, president of the Topeka Unified School District 501 school board, said of the program.

“Skeptics like Woods argue many private schools engage in ‘cherrypicking’ — choosing the best students, who have natural academic talents and stable, supportive families, and shying away from those who need intensive academic, emotional or other support.

“Heather Ousley, of Game On for Kansas Schools, a parental group that argues Kansas is underfunding K-12 education, says it might be acceptable for Kansas to consider a private school tax credit if public school finances were in better shape, but they aren’t.

“Ousley warns of a ‘two-tier’ system, in which private schools siphon resources from their public counterparts.”

Read more here: http://cjonline.com/news/2015-08-15/tax-credit-controversy-highflying-school-wants-doors-open-more-low-income-families