Thursday, October 27, 2011
INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Pennsylvania families saw educational freedom move a step closer as the state Senate voted Wednesday, October 26th to provide vouchers to low-income students in failing public schools.
The program, which won bipartisan approval in a 27-22 vote, would allow families with incomes of $29,000 or less to transfer their children to the private school of their choice with a state-funded voucher. In its second year, the program would extend this freedom to families with children already attending private schools.
The Senate also voted to increase funding for the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program, originally enacted in 2001, by $25 million in 2012 and an additional $25 million in 2014.
“This bill is part of a comprehensive package of education reforms that bring Pennsylvania closer to Milton Friedman’s vision of true school choice for all,” said Robert Enlow, president and CEO of the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice. “Congratulations to the state Senate for acting to expand the educational options of Pennsylvania families. We now look to the House of Representatives to do what is right for the state’s children.”
About the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice
The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and nonpartisan organization, solely dedicated to advancing Milton and Rose Friedman’s vision of school choice for all children. First established as the Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation in 1996, the Foundation continues to promote school choice as the most effective and equitable way to improve the quality of K-12 education in America. The Foundation is dedicated to research, education, and outreach on the vital issues and implications related to choice and competition in K-12 education.
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