REACH Alliance and its partners statewide are working together for a broad school choice bill in Pennsylvania.
Learn more about the EITC.
Senate Bill 1 was the first attempt to pass school choice in Pennsylvania. We are still awaiting introduction of a specific bill for this session.
Introduced by Sen. Jeffrey Piccola, R-Dauphin and Sen. Anthony H. Williams, D-Philadelphia, Senate Bill 1 would have allowed the parents of a needy child to take the state subsidy that would have been directed to their home school district and apply it to the public, private or parochial school of their choice.
It would have also increased funding for the state’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program by $25 million.
We have many coalition partners across the state, including, but not limited to:
- Families whose children are stuck in failing schools
- Families who benefit from the existing EITC program – both public and private school families whose children’s lives are enriched by the EITC funds.
- Scholarship Organizations (SOs)– groups that grant scholarships to deserving students
- Pre-Kindergarten Scholarship Organizations (PKSOs)– groups that grant pre-Kindergarten scholarships to deserving students
- EITC Businesses – Businesses that contribute to the EITC program
- Schools – both public schools, who benefit from EIO programming, and private schools, many of which stay open in part because of EITC scholarship funds
- Schools that are eager to provide an alternative to kids who are not succeeding in their public school.
For more information about REACH Ahead, please call Otto Banks at 717.238.1878 or email info –at-paschoolchoice.org
About REACH Alliance
Founded in 1991 to advance educational options, REACH (Road to Educational Achievement through Choice) is Pennsylvania’s grassroots coalition for school choice, drawing upon a powerful network of statewide members and coalition partners of non-public education, faith, business, parent and labor organizations.
REACH efforts led to passage of a statewide school choice plan in the state Senate in 1991, though the bill was later defeated on a procedural vote in the House. In 1995 and 1999, REACH led lobbying and grassroots efforts to support Gov. Ridge’s school choice legislation, and secured an historic victory for parents with the 2001 passage of the Educational improvement Tax Credit (EITC).
Since passage of EITC legislation, REACH has led the effort to more than double the size of the program, establish the political stability and wide popularity of EITC, and educate scholarship organizations on best practices and timely information through the REACH Scholarship Organization Advisory Board.
REACH continues to educate Pennsylvania citizens and the General Assembly to ensure that parents have a true choice in their child’s education.
Please note, if you are looking for the link to contact your legislator, it is here.
