UPDATE: After this alert was issued, HB 2457 was passed over, and the House did not debate it or vote on it. It is still alive as of March 20, 2016.

***PTA ACTION ALERT***

Send an email or leave a voice mail message ASAP! The bill is on General Orders on the House floor tomorrow!
(go to openstates.org for your House Rep) See below:
Dear Representative [link to your House member],

I urge you to Vote NO on Expanding the Tax Credit voucher-type Scholarship Program (HB 2457)

Concerns with Tax Credit voucher-type Scholarship Program

Vouchers, scholarships or tax credits for the tuition of non-public, private, religious schools can discriminate against students and families in admissions. Tax credit scholarships/vouchers give choice to non-public schools, not parents. Private/non-public schools by definition can be selective about who they choose to admit and to reject. This bill would allow for nearly unlimited tax credits at 90% rebate to be re-routed to schools which are not required to serve all Kansas children. The tax credit expansion clearly adds financial pressure to the State General Fund at a time when core services are being further reduced or eliminated and the pending Gannon lawsuit could increase the state’s fiduciary obligation.

Further, any non-public school providing education to elementary and secondary students is eligible for taxpayer scholarship funds. Yet, non-public schools are exempt from standards and accountability requirements. Public tax credits funds can be awarded to un-accredited entities. Non-public private programs can opt out of state testing, nor are they required to publish test results and are legally allowed to withhold critical financial information. Scholarship receiving programs would not be required to adhere to legislative mandates like the proposed suicide prevention in-service for teachers or Celebrate Freedom Week curriculum, and other such directives. The Scholarship program has no comprehensive assessment of student achievement nor credible measure of its educational program impact to inform parents and tax payers. Furthermore, the state would be unable to assess the efficiency of these alternative choices in comparison to the public school districts, because comparable achievement and financial data would be unavailable. Further, the bill weakens parental accountability for making an informed choice by repealing public school attendance as a criteria for scholarship eligibility.

In addition, the scholarship granting organizations, and now individuals, are given the authority to apply their own personal preferences in the selection of which students receive scholarships (omitting only dependents). This means public tax credit funds can be withheld from students who do not meet the specific ethnic, religious, academic, athletic or other expectations of the grantees, and exclude those youth whose educational needs are most resource intensive.

Finally, this bill dismisses children in poverty and those attending public schools. HB2457 weakens requirements that targeted outreach to children living in poverty and eliminates the enrollment criteria. Consequently, the justification for this tax credit program or any proposed expansion appears to be invalidated by these elements of the proposed bill.
I urge you to vote NO on the Tax Credit Expansion.

Thanks for your consideration.

Sincerely,

[include your name, city of residence, mention you are a parent of a public school student]