Congress is considering a $10 billion “school choice” proposal and we need you to urge your senators and representatives to support the bill as co-sponsors.
The Supreme Court recently strengthened the future of school choice, a goal that Agudath Israel has strongly advocated for in legislatures and courtrooms over a course of seven decades. Our work is paying off in meaningful ways.
The important challenge we now face is to translate this judicial victory into practical victories for our parents and children. And we are now confronted with one such challenge.
The “Educational Choice for Children Act” (S.4416/H.R.8137) is major school choice legislation currently being considered in Congress that has the potential of moving school choice forward across the country. The legislation will effectively encourage individual and corporate taxpayers to invest in education and cover expenses facing public and private school children to the tune of $10 billion per year.
It does this by allowing, within a specified framework, a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit for individuals and corporations for contributions made to Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGO). These SGOs would then provide scholarships to children of eligible families for a range of educational expenses, including private school tuition!
This federal assistance will help families send their children to the schools – public, private or religious – that they deem to offer the most suitable education for their children. Moreover, the proposed federal scholarship tax credit program will add significantly to exiting state scholarship programs and encourage the opening up of more opportunities in states where few, if any, such programs exist.
All of this promises to be of great benefit to Jewish parents who are committed – but struggle — to giving their children a sound Torah education.
If this effort is to move forward, our community must voice its strong support and encourage our senators and representatives to cosponsor this legislation. We urge you to contact your members of Congress by email or phone. And, as members are currently in their districts meeting constituents and listening to their concerns prior to the November elections, it is an opportune time to reach out to them using the link
agudah.org/schoolchoice or even convey the message in person as they attend events in your area. Click
here to take action.
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