(The Center Square) – A new plan quietly introduced in the state Senate would create a refundable tax credit for educational expenses, including private school tuition.
The proposal would establish the Child Learning Investment Tax Credit, worth up to $8,000 per student, that families could use to reduce their tax liability. It’s scheduled for a vote in the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday.
The plan strays from a $100 million school voucher proposal that Gov. Josh Shapiro and Senate Republican leadership agreed to during last year’s budget negotiations. House Democrats, who control the chamber, rejected the idea as an unconstitutional diversion of taxpayer funds away from public schools.
At the time, the governor said it wasn’t his job to change their minds. In a February television interview, he reaffirmed his support for school choice – whether it was in the form of a tax credit or a “direct appropriation.”
The sides have only grown more entrenched since a Commonwealth Court ruling deemed Pennsylvania’s school funding formula inequitable. The House passed an updated calculation last month despite Republicans’ criticism that it only made the issue worse.