DAVIS COUNTY -- Utahns for Public Schools (UTPS) ratcheted up their campaign last week to defeat "Referendum One" by airing radio ads urging Utahns to vote against the state's school voucher bill.

The ads also followed last week's multi-county bus tour and were part of a broad outreach effort to educate voters about why they should vote against the bill on Nov. 6.

"We hope that through this campaign we will let people know that the voucher program doesn't reach all children," said State Board of Education Chairman Kim Burningham. "We need to invest more into our public schools."

The radio ad, titled "Troubling," focuses on accountability concerns regarding private voucher schools that receive public funds, and it states that Referendum One is "riddled with loopholes" and sets few, if any, standards for private voucher schools. The ad also states that there's no requirement that private voucher schools be accredited, no accountability for tax dollars, maintaining quality public schools should be the primary goal in Utah and that teachers in private voucher schools are not required to have a teaching credential or a college degree.

The ad will run on at least eight Salt Lake City area radio stations. UTPS launched the public information campaign last week with print advertising for the "on the move to protect public schools" bus tour.

The radio ads are part of a larger effort to influence Utah voters about the voucher law leading up to November's vote.

For more information, visit www.utahnsforpublicschools.org.

dradunich@davisclipper.com