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Last year, Gov. Cuomo assured the state’s Catholic bishops that he would fight for Education Tax Credits to help Catholic school families. In the end, charter schools got the help and Catholic school families were, as Cardinal Dolan put it, “kicked to the curb.” Catholic school families are right to be angry—I know I am. Too many Catholic and other private schools have been forced to close while lawmakers provide more of our families’ tax dollars to public schools and charter schools.
While we support all educational options for families, including public and charter schools, taxpayer support for those schools without support for tuition-paying families is unjust, unfair and unacceptable. Our efforts to seek assistance for tuition-paying families have not and will not cease, and enactment of Education Tax Credits remains the New York State Catholic Conference’s top legislative priority in education.
Where do we stand? The fact remains that the vast majority of lawmakers (in both parties and in both houses of the legislature) support enactment of the Education Tax Credit proposal. Governor Cuomo even reiterated his support during his re-election campaign, telling supporters that “the Education Investment Tax Credit is a matter of justice…that’s the way I see it.” Moreover, approximately 100 organizations across New York State support the legislation, including labor, business, nonprofit and religious organizations—and the list is growing.
Why is there so much support? For several reasons: The legislation will help all children regardless of where they attend school and the bill helps all teachers, regardless of where they teach. Also, lawmakers recognize that New York is a diverse state and that we have a diverse school system—every part of which needs support. Most importantly, countless children, especially children from low- and middle-income families, desperately need access to a better education and additional support in their schools. By providing additional support in schools and to families, more children will be able to break the chains of poverty and will be able to look forward to a promising future. This is not only good for those children and families, but good for our society and the state’s economy.
The Education Investment Tax Credit would encourage increased charitable donations to scholarship-granting organizations, public schools and nonprofit organizations that support public schools. The credit would equal 75 percent of the donation against what is owed in state personal income or corporate franchise taxes. The result would be more funding for scholarships and more funding for important programming in public schools.
Specifically, the bill would provide up to $150 million in tax credits in the first year following enactment, growing to $300 million by the third year and thereafter. Half of the tax credits would be allotted for donations to scholarship entities and the other half for donations to public education.
The measure also provides every classroom teacher with a $200 direct personal income tax credit for their out-of-pocket expenses for classroom supplies and materials.
Lawmakers across the county recognize that educational opportunity is the surest way to address income inequality and to ensure that children achieve their fullest potential. What is being proposed is no novel concept. Nineteen other states, including the District of Columbia—that’s more than one third of the country—have enacted similar programs.
Helping parents educate and form their children into loving, responsible and productive adults is at the heart of our mission in Catholic schools—as it is for many schools—and is why we will be relentless in our quest to keep our schools affordable and accessible to families.
Where do we go from here? The answer is simple. Gov. Cuomo needs to include the Education Investment Tax Credit legislation in his budget proposal and fight to ensure the measure is included in the final state budget. That shouldn’t be too difficult because the measure already has the support of lawmakers and the governor has gotten other proposals enacted with far less support.
Help us to increase the investment in education. Call the governor. His number is (518) 474-7516. Tell him to include Education Tax Credits in his budget proposal. Tell the governor not to let us down this year.
Dr. McNiff is superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of New York.
