Economic Growth Committee Passes School Choice Legislation

Earlier today, the Senate Economic Growth Committee voted to pass S-1607, the Urban Enterprise Zone Jobs Scholarship Act. The bill, long-supported by CIANJ, would allow corporations to make tax-deductible contributions to scholarship organizations. The dollars would be used by children in Newark, Camden, Trenton, Elizabeth, Lakewood, Paterson, Orange and (as of this morning) Jersey City to attend participating public or non-public schools of a student's choice.

Regular blog readers already know our reasons for support by heart. For the rest of you, here's a link to our press release and here's a link to the testimony of your friendly blogger.

Now for some mythbusting...here are the top three myths we heard perpetuated at this morning's hearing.

• Myth one: S-1706 will divert money from public schools

No it won't. Here is a link to the bill. Read it from cover to cover and you will find nothing that says the tax credit money will be taken from public school funding. In fact, many urban schools are held harmless under the new school funding formula for three years, even as they lose population.

• Myth two: This five-year pilot program would drain $360 million from the State Treasury at a time when public schools are already struggling for adequate resources. The Legislature would almost certainly cut funding for public schools by $360 million to pay for this program.

Again, that is not in the bill language. To believe that adding $24 million in education investments in year one would somehow result in draining public schools of money is to speculate about what the legislature will do down the road and act as though it is fact. Also, not all students in the program will attend private schools. The intent of this legislation is to give children in failing schools a choice as to where they get their education.

• Myth Three: New Jersey cannot afford this program

This bill is an example of New Jersey spending money to save it. Private schools in New Jersey's urban centers are closing, and as each one closes its students move into public schools. The pilot districts have some of the highest per-pupil spending in the nation! That does not include the potential need for new school construction. In a state that spends about $24 billion in education, this $24 million investment in year one would represent 0.012% of overall spending. Keeping private schools open saves taxpayer dollars and helps boost student achievement.

Those voting YES were the bill sponsor, Senator Raymond Lesniak (D-20), Senator Joseph Kyrillos (R-13), and Senator Stephen Oroho (R-24). CIANJ thanks them for their support, despite enormous pressure from the teachers' lobby. Senator Teresa Ruiz (D-29) voted NO.