A bi-partisan school choice bill will be the first order of business in the Pennsylvania Senate.
S.B. 1 , will soon be introduced by Education Committee Chairman Jeffrey E. Piccola, the Republican who represents the 15th District which consists of parts of Dauphin and York counties, and Anthony H. Williams, the respected Democrat who represents the 8th District which consists of parts of Philadelphia and Delaware counties.
The bill would eventually allow the parents of any needy child in the state to take the state subsidy — about $9,000 — that would have gone to their home school district and apply to the public, private or parochial school of their choice.
The plan would be implemented over three years with only low-income students currently attending persistently failing schools eligible the first year; low-income students residing in the attendance boundary of those schools but currently attending private schools becoming eligible in the second year; and all low income students becoming eligible in the third year.
Low income will be defined as families whose incomes are at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty level so a family of four would qualify at $28,665.
The bill would also add $25 million to the Educational Improvement Tax Credit program bringing the total tax credits available under it to $100 million.
Gov-Elect Tom Corbett is a supporter of school choice but expect the teacher unions to shriek like banshees if it should be signed into law and mount a state constitutional challenge citing Article III Section 15 .
Hat tip Bob Guzzardi
Many public schools are terrible and have proven themselves unable educate out children. It’s past time to give other institutions a shot at the job
Parents should be allowed to choose what schools’ values are most compatible with their own? Right now, this is a privilege of the rich; with vouchers, it would be available to everyone.
Let’s get S.B.passed