April 29, 202112:47 pm Olivia Paschal reports today for Facing South on criticism of the state’s first school voucher program, the “Succeed Scholarship,” which now provides up to $7,000 a year to send 479 students, many with learning disabilities, to private schools. The program has grown 20 fold from its beginning and was cited repeatedly during the recent legislative session as a success and a reason for the expansion of school vouchers to another 250 children in a $2 million program that was passed over public school opposition in the final days of the session. Advertisement Writes Paschal: But parents and education advocates are questioning how accountable the program is to the state and whether it adequately serves students with complex needs. They also point to the program’s lack of accessibility for families in poverty, the geographic concentration of recipients, and the requirement that participating parents or guardians temporarily sign away their child’s right to a “free and appropriate” public education under the federal Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, meaning they have little legal recourse if a private school fails their student. In addition, private schools do not have to be accredited to take Succeed Scholarship vouchers — they just need to show they’re on the path to accreditation.