Prop 100 not big issue for parochial schools

Most Yuma parochial schools do not anticipate much, if any, fallout if Proposition 100 loses at the ballot box next month.

Prop 100, to be decided by voters May 18, would raise the state sales tax by 1 percent for three years. Two-thirds of the revenue would go toward primary and secondary education and the other third to health and human services and public safety.

Yuma Catholic is not in competition with public schools and, in fact, has formed partnerships with their public counterparts for various programs, says Judy Badgley, principal.

"Everyone deserves an education, society can't survive without it, and I can't believe anybody wouldn't want the best for their children."

Currently, Yuma Catholic has an enrollment of 272 for grades 9 through 12. They try to keep classes between 15 and 18 but like to cap them at 25. They could accommodate up to 400 but that may make for crowded conditions, Badgley said.

Should they see a sudden increased enrollment, they would likely need to hire additional faculty. Finding and retaining teachers who have attained the highly qualified standard can be a problem.

No matter the outcome of the election, the school expects to keep all its Advanced Placement and dual credit classes as well as sports, arts and music programs since neither they nor any of the parochial schools receive any public funds, said Badgley.

"I hope people go out to vote and support education. It's not about any one school, but the kids."

Even if Prop. 100 loses, there is still not much clarification of what that will mean according to the state, said Karen Markin, Yuma Lutheran School principal.

Markin said the election outcome will not impact her school and they will maintain their classes at a 24:1 ratio. And rather than drop programs, they plan to add programs such as Odyssey of the Mind and Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) in partnership with public schools, she said.

"We're all in this together. It's not an issue of one against the other. Children are not the future, they are the now, and education should be a priority."

Over at Southwest Christian School, if there is a significant increase in enrollment this summer they can only handle so much, said Deborah Stewart, principal. Any increase will be limited by teachers and classrooms and they like to keep their student/teacher ratio at 20:1. And their school hires for the next year by June so that limits their ability to accommodate a substantial increase in numbers, she said.

"The goal of all teachers is to provide the best possible education for students in our care whether it is public or private."

And similarly at the Seventh-day Adventist School, all of its contributions are from church members and winter visitors, said Joan Collins, principal.

Increased enrollment would not be much of an issue, Collins noted. They have a set amount they can accommodate and should they reach their cap, they would cut off enrollment. They currently have 15 but they could handle more than double that amount, she said.

Immaculate Conception School typically controls enrollment by maintaining a waiting list, said Principal Lydia Mendoza.

It varies by grade but it is usually five to 10 students for each grade. Currently there are 20 slots available. Yet they continuously enroll throughout the year as long as they have vacancies, she said.

"I strongly encourage support for Prop. 100 because it's good for education. And we must support education whether it's private or public."