WASHINGTON (WUSA) -- The White House and the DC government reached a deal to allow the school vouchers program to continue.  

But the debate goes on: should public money be used to let students attend private school?

Nearly 900 DC students are using public vouchers to help pay tuition at city Catholic schools alone, such as Archbishop Carrol High. The so-called opportunity scholarships have divided local elected leaders. The new chairman of the DC Council, Phil Mendelson, points out the compromise agreed to between the White House and House Speaker John Boehner and Senator Joe Lieberman gives $20 million to the voucher program that the President had earmarked for public and public charter schools.

The demand for vouchers is also apparent. Since 2004 there have been 11,000 applications for the DC opportunity scholarship program. Roughly 5 ,000 vouchers have been awarded.

President Obama had budgeted zero dollars for DC vouchers in the current budget.