{"id":2342762,"date":"2024-09-18T10:27:55","date_gmt":"2024-09-18T14:27:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/school-choice-tax-credits-pay-off-report-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-18T10:31:09","modified_gmt":"2024-09-18T14:31:09","slug":"school-choice-tax-credits-pay-off-report-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/school-choice-tax-credits-pay-off-report-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"School choice tax credits pay off: Report &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fschool-choice-tax-credits-pay-off-report-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2342762&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A recent report\u200c by the Commonwealth Foundation highlights the\u200d academic advantages of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/elite-private-school-students-anonymously-accused-school-officials-of-racism-the-school-caved\/\" title=\"Elite Private School Students Anonymously Accused School Officials Of Racism. The School Caved.\">private school students<\/a> who\u200b utilize taxpayer-funded\u2064 scholarships. The analysis examined nearly 78,000 students from the 2021-22 school year benefiting \u200dfrom the Educational Improvement Tax Credit and \u200bOpportunity Scholarship Tax Credit programs. It found that these students demonstrated higher academic proficiency compared to their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/harvard-study-homeschoolers-generally-become-well-adjusted-responsible-young-adults\/\" title=\"Harvard Study: Homeschoolers Generally Become \u2018Well-Adjusted, Responsible\u2019 Young Adults\">public school peers<\/a>, especially in low-achieving areas, indicating the programs \u200dare effectively serving families\u2064 in need. <\/p>\n<p>The report points out the\u2064 significant cost differences, noting\u200b that while the state spends around $22,000 per public school student, average private school tuition is about $12,000. It also\u2064 emphasizes the demand for scholarships, citing that many recipients come from \u200clower-income households, thereby stressing the success of these programs in providing better educational options. The report illustrates that students from the \u200bPhiladelphia area who are recipients of \u2062these scholarships outperform their public\u200b school counterparts in standardized math and reading tests, reinforcing the potential benefits\u200b of school choice and tax credit \u200dinitiatives.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">School choice tax credits pay off: Report<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1763055\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square) &ndash; Private school students who pay tuition using taxpayer-funded scholarships achieve higher academic proficiencies than their public school counterparts, according to a recent report.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The analysis, compiled by the Commonwealth Foundation, a policy group that focuses on fiscal conservancy, looked at the demographics of nearly 78,000 students who received financial aid through the Educational Improvement Tax Credit or the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit programs in the 2021-22 school year.<\/p>\n<p>Rachel Langan, senior education policy analyst, said the&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/chrome-extension\/\/efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj\/https:\/\/www.commonwealthfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Education-Tax-Credit-Scholarships-paper-Sept2024.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>results<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;found an inverse relationship between students living in low-achieving schools and the number of scholarships awarded, suggesting that the program is helping families in neighborhoods with the greatest need.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This shows that the programs are well-run and the schools are good stewards of the taxpayer funds they are receiving,&rdquo; she said.<\/p>\n<p>For advocates, the foundation&rsquo;s conclusions back up the notion that private schools do more for student achievement with far less money than traditional public schools. According to the report, the state spends nearly $22,000 per student, while average yearly private school tuition runs $12,000.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This report demonstrates high demand and significant results,&rdquo; said Nathan Benefield,&nbsp;the foundation&rsquo;s senior vice president.&nbsp;&ldquo;If the past is any indication, demand for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gov-gretchen-whitmer-vetoes-bills-helping-low-income-families-leave-failing-public-schools\/\" title=\"Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Vetoes Bills Helping Low-Income Families Leave Failing Public Schools\">tax credit scholarships<\/a> will continue to rise, showing the remarkable success of the program and the desire of parents to find the best educational option for their children.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>According to the data, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/illinois-democrats-kill-states-only-school-choice-program\/\" title=\"Illinois Democrats end sole school choice program.\">average family income<\/a> for scholarship recipients ranged between roughly $41,000 and $73,000 annually, well below the statewide median of $93,000. The average EITC and OSTC awards are $2,583 and $1,853, respectively.<\/p>\n<p>Demographics for students living in Philadelphia and its surrounding collar counties &ndash; Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery &ndash; illustrate the point even more starkly. Here, the median household income for scholarship families is just under $41,000, compared to nearly $58,000 across Philadelphia. Seventy percent live in the state&rsquo;s lowest-performing districts, and 80% identify as people of color.<\/p>\n<p>Keisha Jordan, president and CEO of Childrens Scholarship Fund of Philadelphia, said these same students outperformed their public school peers on math and reading tests, both in fourth and seventh grade. Ninety-nine percent graduate on time and 72% enroll in college.<\/p>\n<p>Jordan said 61% of seventh-grade scholarship students read at or above proficiency, compared to 38% in the School District of Philadelphia. The gap in math proficiency is much wider: 54% of scholarship students score at or above grade level, while only 19% of district students do the same.<\/p>\n<p>School choice critics, however, say decades of underfunding explain the achievement gaps. Diverting public money to private schools is not only unconstitutional, they say, but makes the problem worse.<\/p>\n<p>The state&rsquo;s&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/pennsylvania\/article_efd6e1e4-4055-11ef-b842-93bcf8ec0562.html\">new budget<\/a><\/strong>, signed into law on July 11, earmarks $811 million in new spending. More than two-thirds of the money funnels to districts&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/pennsylvania\/article_d74009a0-2780-11ef-a5b1-539028f0c18b.html\">based on a newly reconstituted formula<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;that weighs socioeconomic needs.<\/p>\n<p>Doing so, lawmakers say, acknowledges a February court order to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/pennsylvania\/article_54ef342c-2cd9-11ef-b2a5-4b06980c7fca.html\"><strong>redirect school resources<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;more equitably.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1763055\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1763055\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>School choice tax credits yield positive results: A report from The Center Square indicates that students attending private schools with taxpayer-funded scholarships perform better academically than those in public schools. This analysis, conducted by the Commonwealth Foundation\u2014a policy organization dedicated to fiscal conservatism\u2014examined data from nearly 78,000 students who received financial assistance through the Educational Improvement Tax Credit and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit programs during the 2021-22 school year. Rachel Langan, a senior education policy analyst, noted that there is an inverse correlation between the number of scholarships awarded and the presence of low-achieving schools, implying that these programs are benefiting families in high-need areas. She stated, &#8220;This demonstrates that these programs are effectively managed and that participating schools responsibly utilize taxpayer funds.&#8221; Proponents argue that this evidence supports the idea that private institutions can enhance student achievement at a lower cost compared to traditional public schools; while state funding averages nearly $22,000 per student annually, typical private school tuition is around $12,000. Nathan Benefield, senior vice president of the foundation remarked on high demand for tax credit scholarships and their significant outcomes: &#8220;If history is any guide, interest in these scholarships will keep growing as parents seek optimal educational options for their children.&#8221; The report reveals scholarship recipients typically come from families earning between $41,000 and $73,000 per year\u2014substantially less than Pennsylvania&#8217;s median income of $93,000. Average awards under EITC and OSTC are approximately $2,583 and $1,853 respectively. In Philadelphia and nearby counties (Bucks, Chester Delaware &amp; Montgomery), scholarship families have a median income just below $41K compared to nearly $58K citywide; 70% reside in low-performing districts while 80% identify as people of color. Keisha Jordan from Childrens Scholarship Fund of Philadelphia highlighted how these students excelled over their public school peers in math and reading assessments for both fourth and seventh grades\u2014with graduation rates at 99% and college enrollment at 72%. Notably among seventh graders receiving scholarships\u201461% read proficiently versus only 38% within Philadelphia&#8217;s School District; similarly stark differences exist in math proficiency (54% vs. 19%). Critics argue long-standing underfunding has led to achievement disparities; they contend reallocating public funds to private institutions is unconstitutional and exacerbates existing issues. The state&#8217;s new budget signed on July 11 allocates an additional $811 million with over two-thirds directed towards districts based on a revised formula prioritizing socioeconomic needs\u2014a move lawmakers assert aligns with a February court ruling aimed at more equitable resource distribution among schools<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2342763,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/empty-classroom-photo-1024x683.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[37383,38091,40824,32076],"class_list":["post-2342762","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-education-reform","tag-school-choice","tag-tax-credits","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/empty-classroom-photo-1024x683.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2342762","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2342762"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2342762\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2342763"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2342762"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2342762"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2342762"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}