Bill Proposes Increased School Choice Subsidies and Student-Teacher Stipend
The Republican-controlled Pennsylvania state Senate has approved a highly contentious piece of education legislation. The bill, which aims to address labor shortages in education and provide additional funding for school choice, passed the Senate with a vote of 43-7. The proposal will now move to the Democrat-controlled state House for consideration before it reaches the desk of Gov. Josh Shapiro.
Bill Includes Multiple Provisions
The passed bill includes several provisions aimed at improving education in the state. These provisions involve allocating more than $300 million to libraries and community colleges, as well as $100 million in federal aid for school mental health services. Additionally, $75 million will be dedicated to addressing environmental health hazards such as lead, asbestos, and mold in school buildings.
A previous version of the bill had faced opposition from Republicans due to a provision that allocated an additional $100 million to the poorest public schools. However, Democrats dropped this provision, leading to its ultimate passage in the Senate.
Expanded School Choice Subsidies
One of the key features of the legislation is the expansion of school choice subsidies. The bill aims to increase the budget for these subsidies by $130 million, from $340 million to $470 million. This expansion allows businesses to receive tax breaks in exchange for donations to help cover the cost of tuition at private and religious schools.
While this tax credit program is championed by Republicans, public school advocates have criticized it as discriminatory. Critics argue that eligible schools often select students based on discriminatory factors such as religion, LGBTQ+ status, disability, and other reasons.
In response to these concerns, the bill includes concessions from Republicans. These include reducing the amount of money that middleman administrators can retain from 20% to 10% and requiring more demographic information about the students who benefit from the program. Furthermore, the bill increases the amount of tax credits from $12 million to $60 million for donations that primarily support private schools serving lower-income families.
Student-Teacher Stipend to Address Labor Shortages
Recognizing the challenges faced by schools in hiring and retaining teachers, the bill proposes the creation of a program to provide student teachers with a stipend of up to $15,000. This stipend aims to alleviate the financial burden on college students completing their teaching degrees, who are required to student-teach for 12 weeks without pay.
The stipend program is designed to incentivize more college students to pursue a career in education and help address the current labor shortages in the field.
