Post by Logan on Feb 1, 2016 19:57:41 GMT -6
PHOENIX — State lawmakers took the first steps Monday to eventually allowing all 1.1 million children in public schools to get vouchers of tax dollars to attend private and parochial schools.
The House Ways and Means Committee agreed to allow what are called "empowerment scholarships'' beginning next school year for any child attending kindergarten through fifth grade. These scholarships are roughly equivalent to what the state would provide in aid for a public school.
That would expand through eighth grade the year after that, and all grades in the 2019-2020 school year.
These vouchers originally were enacted for students with special needs. But lawmakers have slowly expanded it to include foster children, children of members of the military, children attending a school rated D or F by the Department of Education and, most recently, children living on Indian reservations.
Read more: tucson.com/news/local/education/house-committee-expands-school-voucher-system/article_b7533bb7-ff21-5935-848f-c2dc9710bec8.html
The House Ways and Means Committee agreed to allow what are called "empowerment scholarships'' beginning next school year for any child attending kindergarten through fifth grade. These scholarships are roughly equivalent to what the state would provide in aid for a public school.
That would expand through eighth grade the year after that, and all grades in the 2019-2020 school year.
These vouchers originally were enacted for students with special needs. But lawmakers have slowly expanded it to include foster children, children of members of the military, children attending a school rated D or F by the Department of Education and, most recently, children living on Indian reservations.
Read more: tucson.com/news/local/education/house-committee-expands-school-voucher-system/article_b7533bb7-ff21-5935-848f-c2dc9710bec8.html