Advocates for Maryland public schools and teachers unions have taken a pre-emptive strike against renewed efforts to pass a law creating a voucher system that would pay for children to attend private schools.
The vouchers are part of legislation expected to be introduced to the state’s General Assembly during its 2010 session, beginning in January. They would be funded by donations from businesses to organizations that would grant private school scholarships. The contributions would be eligible for a 75-cent on the dollar tax credit for the businesses.
“In the current economic situation, we cannot possibly conceive of the rationale for giving away hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax revenue that would otherwise go to public funds,” said John Woolums, lobbyist for the Maryland Associations of Boards of Education.
Woolums joined with leaders from the state teachers union, the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland, and the Maryland PTA in denouncing the idea on Tuesday. They cited recent reports from Arizona — one of six states with business-funded vouchers — citing a lack of oversight for the system. In addition, reports found that many of Arizona’s vouchers were going to middle-class and wealthy families, not to the lower-income students for whom the laws are often crafted.
Those in favor of vouchers, however, say the legislation — which this winter would be put forth for a fifth time — could be crafted so as not to mimic Arizona’s mistakes.
With the backing of groups like the Maryland Catholic Conference and the Black Alliance for Educational Options, proponents favor a setup more closely resembling a program in Pennsylvania.
BOAST (Building Opportunities for All Students and Teachers in) Maryland, responsible for organizing pro-voucher efforts, said its “promises have already been fulfilled in Pennsylvania, where the [tax credit] has led more than 3,600 businesses to donate over $360 million to education programs since 2001.”
Calls to BOAST’s Baltimore offices were not returned, but the group’s Web site touts potential benefits for public school students, as well.
As in Pennsylvania, the donations could be used for “increased support for nonprofits that provide enrichment opportunities like tutoring, mentoring, arts, and environmental programs,” BOAST said.
Maryland state Sen. Douglas J. J. Peters, D-Prince George’s, is the only D.C.-area representative to have sponsored the bill in last year’s legislative session.
