House Bill 639 establishes a “scholarship charity” tax credit voucher aimed primarily at lower-income students in provisional and unaccredited districts. Missouri National Education Association (MNEA) continues to strongly oppose any measure to transfer state funds to private, religious or home schools which are not held accountable to the standards placed upon public schools.
With the growing efforts of extreme, out-of-state interest groups, such as All Children Matter, this initial effort to enact tax credit vouchers will be difficult to stop. MNEA needs active participation of members speaking to legislators, fellow educators and the public on the importance of this issue to all Missourians.
Teachers, parents, and the general public have long opposed private school tuition vouchers, especially when funds for vouchers compete with funds for overall improvements in America’s public schools.
Voucher proponents seek to mislead legislators and the public regarding the true nature of this tax credit voucher by labeling it a scholarship charity. Regardless of the cute and cuddly name, this is effectively a voucher proposal to move public funds to private, religious and home schools without the public accountability public schools face.
The proposed scholarship tax credit voucher grants a 90 percent tax credit, meaning that the donation is nearly a dollar-for-dollar reduction in tax liability and scarcely an act of charity on the part of a donor.
Vouchers, in any form and by any name, are not ultimately designed to help low-income children. The bill does not guarantee that all scholarship funds will be used for low-income students. Any funds not allocated for those students could be used for other purposes.
The proposed bill also hands over state oversight of much of the tax credit program to a third-party group, probably one affiliated with one or more lobbyists currently working in Missouri in support of this bill and seeking employment by the state to run this program.
Adding the word “private” doesn’t make a school good. There is no proof that private schools improve student academic performance, and the bill does not require the same public accountability and responsibility from the private, religious and home schools funded by the program as it does from public schools.
MNEA supports direct efforts to improve public schools. There is no need to set up new threats to schools for not performing. What is needed is help for the students, teachers, and schools who are struggling.
MNEA opposes alternatives that divert attention, energy and resources from efforts to reduce class size, enhance teacher quality and provide every student with books, computers and safe and orderly schools.
Otto Fajen is legislative director for MNEA