Cardinal Joins Call For Passage of Parental Choice Act

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Cardinal Dolan, other religious leaders, parents, students and elected officials joined Gov. Andrew Cuomo in Westbury and a suburb of Buffalo May 12 as the governor rolled out the Parental Choice in Education Act. They urged the Legislature to pass the bill this session.

         The act, which provides for $150 million in education tax credits annually, would support and protect alternative school options for parents and students across the state. Specifically it would provide:

·      Tax credits to low-income families who send their children to nonpublic schools,

·      Scholarships for low- and middle-income students to attend either a public school outside their district or a nonpublic school,

·      Incentives to public schools for enhanced educational programming,

·      Tax credits to public school teachers to purchase supplies.

 “This is not just a Catholic issue,” the cardinal said. “This is an issue for every parochial, private or nonpublic school that is devoted to the success of their students. We need the Legislature to stand with us on this issue, just as Governor Cuomo has, in order to ensure that it becomes law and we can support all schools this year.”

Cuomo called education “the greatest gift that a parent can give to their children” and called on the Legislature to “pass this act this year, because families deserve a choice when it comes to their child’s education.”

Some 400,000 students in the state attend nonpublic schools, but many are struggling financially. More than 75 parochial schools in the state have closed in just the last five years, and average tuition can reach as much as $8,500 per student annually.