CAP School Choice Press Release
School Choice Working Group Plans Improvements to the Individual Scholarship Tax Credit Program
September 21, 2009
Contact: Sydney Hay 928-310-4343
School choice proponents today announced their intention to work with the newly- announced Arizona House of Representatives Private School Tuition Tax Credit Review Committee in the formulation of a bold and ambitious policy proposal that will improve and enhance the state’s Individual Scholarship Tax Credit program which already provides tremendous educational opportunity to Arizona children while saving the State of Arizona significant money.
“Each year, through the Individual Scholarship Tax Credit program, 28,000 children are able to attend the schools that best meet their educational needs,” said Sydney Hay of the School Choice Working Group. “We are proud of that record and are looking forward to working with the legislature to increase public awareness of and confidence in the program through greater transparency and additional accountability.“
Ideas currently being discussed that will be vetted through the new House Committee include making sure that all School Tuition Organizations consider financial need when awarding scholarships, a practice that most STOs already engage in; publicly reporting on the numbers of children in financial need who are helped annually; and adding financial accountability measures.
“Many of the most prominent STOs, like the Arizona School Choice Trust and the Catholic Tuition Organizations, have always used financial need as their primary criterion,” Hay said, “and most of the other STOs take it into account in making their awards. But, frankly, we have not done a very good job of telling that story. That is going to change. A renewed emphasis on financial need and increased reporting will help us to demonstrate that this program is transforming thousands of children’s lives.”
Parents Confirm Program Works Wonders for Their Children
Judi Jones has a 6-year-old son attending Millennium Worldwide Academy on a tax credit scholarship. Her son is currently reading and doing math at a 3rd-grade level, and she says sending her child to the school of her choice has been a wonderful experience.
“The school is a special place, a safe environment, the students are happy. They challenge my son in a way that’s fun. I’ve seen him develop tremendously.”
Alisha Anderson, whose son is also a tax credit scholarship recipient says, “This scholarship is giving Averien an opportunity that I could not possibly give him on my own. He is going to be somebody important someday and give back to those who helped him succeed. Averien has been learning so much in this school. We need this scholarship. Some legislators pretend to help us, when they really are trying to take away my son’s chance. I trust that this new House Committee has his future at heart.”
Helen Hernandez, grandmother of second and seventh grade girls said, “The scholarship means everything to me. The school is a great help in assisting me in raising my grandchildren. It’s pure and simple, I couldn’t do it without this scholarship.”
“Arizona has consistently been a national leader in making educational opportunity available to all,” Hay said. “We in the school choice movement are dedicated to working with the legislature in continuing to make a great program better.”
The School Choice Working Group is a coalition of organizations and individuals that seek to expand educational opportunity to Arizona children through school choice. Members include Advocates for School Choice, Alliance for School Choice, Center for Arizona Policy, Arizona Catholic Conference, Institute for Justice, Arizona School Tuition Organization Association, the Arizona affiliate of Council for American Private Education and several pro-school choice legislators.
