Iowa: Financing Private Schools with Public Money
by Darrell Lewis
Iowa is
one of only six states nationwide that gives tuition tax credits for
private schools. The Iowa law goes even further by permiting the
credit for books, fees and other educational purposes thereby assuring
every parent (even if they don't pay tuition because of income) access
to this money.
The tax
credit in Iowa is limted to $250 per year. This past year the
Republican legilsature voted to increase that to $700 per year;
however, it was vetoed by Gov. Vilsack who stated that Iowa simply
didn't have the financial resources to give away so much additional
money.
Take
note that Iowa gives a TAX CREDIT…not just a deduction. This
means a person's income taxes are reduced by the full amount of the
credit.
In
addtion to the tax credit, Iowa public schools are required to provide
transportation for private school students and other forms of financial
assistance. While there is certainly merit to the state helping
support the education of all children regardless of whether the school
is public or private, public money must first be spent on public
education and until such time as public education fully meets the needs
of its students and teachers, no further subsidies should be given to
private schools.
As one
of only six states with private tuition tax credits, Iowa has clearly
gone beyond what is the norm nationwide in supporting private
education. Why do Republicans continue to further erode public
education?
This article originally appeared on the Drury for Iowa Senate website.
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