Issue Paper: Private School Subsidies

PRIVATE SCHOOL SUBSIDIES

TUITION TAX CREDITS / SCHOOL VOUCHERS

Private school advocates in Rhode Island have proposed tax credits for those private school parents who donate money to private school scholarship funds. They have previously proposed that parents receive a tax credit for education expenditures for private and public schools. Inevitably there will be school voucher legislation introduced given the recent controversial 5-4 U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing for a limited voucher program in Cleveland, Ohio.

Proponents argue that private school parents are taxpayers and should get some benefit out of their tax dollars. They argue that should private schools close, it would be a huge burden on public school districts. Proponents also argue that choice is good, and that competition would benefit schools.

Opponents argue that tax credits and vouchers are extremely expensive, costing millions of dollars with no public accountability for how the money will be spent. Tax credits and vouchers are simply a public subsidy to private school education. Opponents note that in Cleveland, 94.6% of students attend religious schools and that enacting a voucher program created no new school choices. There is no even playing field with vouchers and tax credits because private schools can discriminate in admission policy and are not accountable to the public. They have also argued that the General Assembly has a constitutional duty to support public schools, not private education institutions. There remains huge unmet needs in public schools that ought to be funded instead of offering money in either a tax credit or voucher to parents of private school students.

AFL-CIO POSITION

The Rhode Island AFL-CIO does not oppose school choice. The Rhode Island AFL-CIO does oppose public subsidies of private schools. The General Assembly should fund public education institutions so that they may provide education to all Rhode Island students eligible to attend. The Rhode Island AFL-CIO opposes the creation of education tax credits or school vouchers.