Pennsylvania’s Voucher Bill Would Hit Middle Class in 2015

May 2, 2011 9:31 am 0 comments

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The bill under Governor Tom Corbett would see vouchers expanded to the middle class in the 2015-16 school year -- if passed by the legislature.

The proposed Pennsylvania voucher bill, which is the result of vigorous negotiations between state legislators and Governor Tom Corbett, is slated to expand voucher eligibility to middle-income students when it finishes its roll-out in 2015-16, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. Although initially expected to pass in time for the upcoming school year, the bill was unexpectedly pulled only hours before a scheduled vote after Education Secretary Ron Tomalis expressed reservations in a closed-door meeting shortly before the bill’s withdrawal.
Now, if the bill passes, it will go into effect in 2012 and will initially only cover families of students who attend failing public schools and whose incomes don’t exceed 130% of the federal poverty level ($28,665 for a family of four.)

In 2013-14, vouchers would be available to low-income children within attendance boundaries of failing schools, even if they attend other schools. In 2014-15, eligibility would expand to all low-income children statewide.

One of the results of the compromise was the inclusion of families making up to 350% of the federal poverty level into the voucher eligibility pool as of 2015-16. The initial bill had the income level set to 300%. An additional provision caps the percentage of the budget that can go towards vouchers for middle-income families at 6%, or roughly $163 million, which is a reduction from $250 million limit in the original version.
The negotiated compromise didn’t appease voucher opponents who still see the program, which allows families to apply state funds towards tuition at any schools outside their district, including private schools, as a drain on public school resources. Jay Costa Jr, the Senate Democratic Leader, says the answer is not in “diverting a significant amount of dollars away from our public schools,”, but in expanded tax credit to businesses that support education grants.

The legislation already calls for an additional $25 million tax credits for the program starting in 2012-13. The program now offers $75 million a year in credits.