By Megan Erbacher
The Message assistant editor
Editor’s note: This is part of a series highlighting the 10th anniversary of Indiana’s Choice Scholarship Program.
When Indiana's Choice Scholarship Program became available 10 years ago, Julia and Bill Kunkler’s four children all were attending Diocese of Evansville Catholic schools. Once Julia and Bill learned about the new program through Resurrection Catholic School’s administrative staff, they decided to apply.
“So when we chose to use the voucher program, we saw it as a way we could recuperate our tax-payer dollars,” Julia said.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Indiana's Choice Scholarship Program, commonly known as the voucher program, which allows parents and guardians to choose the school they believe is best for their kids. In the spring of 2011, then-Gov. Mitch Daniels signed Indiana’s Choice Scholarship Program into law. In the past 10 years, more than a quarter-million Indiana students have benefitted from the voucher program.
The Kunkler’s are parishioners of Resurrection Parish in Evansville.
Julia and Bill have four children. Michaela, 22, is a senior at the University of Evansville, where she is majoring in Visual Communication Design and minoring in Communications. Jonah, 20, is a sophomore at Vincennes University majoring in Precision Machining Technology. Their youngest two kids attend Mater Dei High School. Levi, 16, is a sophomore; and Caleb, 15, is a freshman.
Julia said, “The voucher program has benefited our family by giving all four of our children the opportunity to have a quality, faith-based, Catholic education without stretching our family’s finances too thinly.”