Action Alert: Democrats to Repeal School Choice!

For five years I managed the Education Scholarships Tax Credits Program at the Department of Education, a program that’s designed to provide school choice opportunities to low-income parents seeking better school options for their children.  It's an important education program that has helped many families all over the state.  The program has grown from a little over 40 students and a few thousand dollars in scholarship funds in the first year, to approximately 4,000 students and over $15 Million in scholarship funds by 2019.

Despite this tremendous progress, legislation (HB 521) was introduced by Delegate David Bulova (D- 37, Fairfax Station ) to repeal the entire EISTC program, thus eliminating Virginia’s only school choice program. 

CLICK HERE TO TELL YOUR DELEGATE TO OPPOSE HB 521!

The EISTC program works by providing a tax credit for donations to scholarship funds that qualifying, low-income families can apply for in order to send their children to a local private school - many of which are schools that are faith-based.  The program is designed to help students attend a school that can better meet their education needs that are not being met by the public school system.

Just last year the General Assembly expanded school choice opportunities to allow scholarship funds to be used to help low-income families send their eligible four year olds to a qualified private pre-K school.  Under this expansion, scholarships could be provided to children in families who otherwise qualify for the Virginia Preschool Initiative or Head Start programs, but cannot participate because their localities don’t have enough slots.

But despite the success of the program since it started in 2013, and less than a year after expanding the program, some within the new Democratic majority are aiming to dismantle the highly successful school choice program and force low-income families to send their children to public schools that don't best serve their needs.

If the General Assembly passes HB 521 it will take away the best, and only, chance for certain families to move their children into an education environment where they will thrive. 

Don’t let the General Assembly take this program away from so many families who’ve come to rely on the opportunities it provides.