Michigan legislators voted yesterday to join 18 other states which have either created or expanded school choice programs in 2021. The series of bills passed by the Michigan House and Senate would empower parents to make the educational decisions that work best for their children.
The program provides eligible children with Student Opportunity Scholarship accounts that can be used for educational expenses, including private school tuition. Families earning 200% of the income threshold to receive reduced-price lunch (approximately $98,000 for a family of four) will receive nearly $5,000 per student while lower income students, foster children, and children with disabilities will receive close to $8,000.
The funding for the accounts will be generated by donations to nonprofit scholarship organizations which would then create scholarship accounts for eligible students. The contributors will receive a dollar-for-dollar state tax credit in return for their donation. While more than twenty states have tax-credit scholarship programs and eight states have education savings accounts, Michigan would become the third state (all enacted this year) to use a hybrid model that would fund such accounts via tax credits.
“The coronavirus pandemic has helped policymakers realize that parents need immediate additional educational options,” said Rabbi A. D. Motzen, national director of state relations for Agudath Israel of America. “Michigan’s Student Opportunity Scholarship program will incentivize philanthropic support of education and empower parents, ultimately leading to greater educational accountability.”
Agudath Israel commends Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, Speaker Jason Wentworth, and the bill sponsors (Senators Lana Theis and Tom Barrett, Representatives Bryan Posthumus and Phil Green) for their leadership and commitment to Michigan families.
Agudath Israel urges Governor Whitmer to sign this common-sense bill into law.