Study: Wider School Voucher Programs Make People Happier

Universal school voucher programs that include religious schools make people happier than vouchers limited to nonsectarian schools only, a new study argues. The report, by an economics professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business, Maria Marta Ferreyra, simulated two imaginary voucher programs in the Chicago area using an economic model.

The model creates imaginary households that make "decisions" about where to live and send their children based on the quality of schools and neighborhood characteristics.

It then uses a formula defining their "utility" or happiness by a variety of measures to see how satisfied the households are with the results.

The model ran two trials: In one program, parents could use vouchers to attend any private school; the other limited vouchers just to nonsectarian schools.

The wider voucher program left households more satisfied, the study found.