A group of local parents will have its own meeting to discuss a controversial proposal from the Douglas County School District to distribute school option certificates.

The program would put money reserved for an individual student’s education in the hands of parents, leaving them with the decision of where to send their child. The Douglas County School District Board of Education is in preliminary discussions on school option certificates and no final decisions have been made.

Some parents are concerned about how a further drop in funding will affect a district that already is struggling financially. The Wickerdale Walkers, a group of parents based in Highlands Ranch, is scheduled to have its own forum at 5:30-8:30 p.m. Dec. 10 at the Philip S. Miller Library in Castle Rock.

Dave DiCarlo, one of the group’s founders, said the board of education allows parents only one minute of time to share their thoughts on the per-pupil-funding proposal. The public forum will be structured, but will not be run by school district officials. DiCarlo expects about 180 people to fill the meeting rooms reserved at the library.

The forum is not intended to be a one-sided discussion, but rather a venue for the community to learn and understand the nuances of school vouchers and how they function. It also will be an open discussion on ways to change how schools are funded.

“Whether you’re for or against vouchers, parents should be for finance reform to keep money in this county,” DiCarlo said, pointing to disproportionate funding for Denver schools compared with Douglas County schools. “We’re retaining less money than anyone else in the state.”

The school board hosted a retreat Nov. 13 to discuss the school choices available to district parents, including a draft for contract schools and option certificates, which the board aims to distinguish from traditional school vouchers.

John Carson, president of the Douglas County School Board, said certificates are not a “blank check,” and while traditional vouchers go directly to the school with no questions asked, in Douglas County, any participating school would have to qualify to receive option certificates, he said.

A district-organized task force began work on option certificates and contract schools with analysis that considered the legal hurdles the district could face with its proposals. There is also a question on whether taxpayer money can be used to fund an education at a religious school.