Legislative briefing slated for school choice solutions

The Texas Association of Non-Public Schools (TANS) and the Texas Catholic Conference (TCC) are hosting a briefing for legislators, legislative staff, advocates and business leaders to discuss corporate tax credits as a means to improve educational opportunities and choices for Texas students and families and energize Texas education.

The briefing will be held Oct. 4 at 9 a.m. in Room E2.036 in the Texas Capitol.

The event will feature two panel discussions on the implementation and benefits of corporate tax credits, and perspectives from Texas leaders on the viability and benefits of a corporate tax credit program in Texas. The first panel features Doug Tuthill of Step Up for Students and Peter Hanley of the American Center for School Choice, two experts on the implementation of school choice across the country, who will discuss various strategies that other states have pursued in order to increase educational choice. They will also provide information on the specific challenges and opportunities gained through the different school choice program options operating in other states.

The second panel will feature perspectives from leaders in Texas’ business and education community to discuss how implementation of a corporate tax credit as a means to increase school choice would help Texas students and families, benefit the state’s business community, appeal to Texas communities, and position Texas as a leader in education for the future. Serving on the panel will be Charles T. Evans with TANS, Tuthill, Hanley and Jeffery Patterson, TCC.

Creation of a corporate tax credit program increases educational choice for all, especially families who have limited financial resources and children who are most at-risk for dropping out. By funding educational choice using private dollars, this school choice solution ensures that no public funding to schools is diverted. In all states that have implemented a corporate tax credit, school district revenues have increased and total funding for public education has increased.

For more information, contact Maria Huemmer, TCC Communications Director at (512) 961-7763 or at [email protected] or Evans, TANS at (512) 289-1010 or [email protected].