House Education Committee passes HB1371 to the House of Representatives
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (March 16, 2020) – On Tuesday, the House Education Committee passed HB1371, which would create a tax credit private school scholarship and public school grant program, and is sending the bill to the full House of Representatives for a vote.
The Reform Alliance (TRA) applauds the legislators for moving the bill forward. If enacted, the bill would provide framework for up to $6 million for public school grants and up to $4 million in private school scholarships for K-12 education.
Recent polling has indicated that the public, including Arkansas teachers, is supportive of the program. In a recent member poll from the Arkansas State Teachers Association, a nonunion association, 56% of teachers supported the program. In addition, a poll from Cyngal showed 66 percent of Arkansas voters agree that Arkansas should start investing in new options or allow parents to customize theirs child’s education.
“This is an exciting step forward for Arkansas families to be able to find education solutions to help students who are struggling,” said TRA’s Managing Director Emmy Henley. “The program gives individuals and organizations the opportunity to support public schools with donations, and it gives families more freedom to find the right learning environment to meet students’ needs.”
ABOUT THE REFORM ALLIANCE: The Reform Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring every K-12 student in Arkansas has equal access to a world-class education. The Reform Alliance is proud to manage the Succeed Scholarship at no cost to the State of Arkansas. Even small expenses like the cost of mailing checks to schools are paid for by a private foundation grant. Free educational resources and more information about The Reform Alliance are available at thereformalliance.org.
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