State Senate approves tuition vouchers
Share with others:
HARRISBURG -- The Senate voted 27-22 Wednesday to fund private school tuition with money that otherwise would go to public schools.
The legislation would help poor people take their children out of failing schools and send them to private ones. It would provide vouchers for private schools and expand tax credits for businesses that contribute to scholarship programs for low- and middle-income children.
"This is the most significant effort at educational reform in well over a decade," said Sen. Jeffery Piccola, R-Dauphin, who sponsored the bill along with Sen. Anthony Williams, D-Philadelphia.
The legislation now heads to the House, where its future is uncertain.
"Obviously, we will consider it. Education reform is and always has been a priority for the members of our caucus. Conceptually, our caucus believes that there needs to be changes to how we educate our kids because the current system is not working as well as it should," said House GOP spokesman Steve Miskin.
He stopped short of saying whether the caucus supports the bill. House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, R-Bradford Woods, hasn't seen it yet, he said.
The bill would make vouchers available to an estimated 70,000 children in 143 schools next year, but Mr. Piccola said he expects only 5 percent to 10 percent to use them.
First Published October 26, 2011 7:28 pm
