PHILADELPHIA, April 20, 2011—The Office of State Sen. Anthony H. Williams invites families and the community to attend an upcoming informational event on school choice and pending legislation set to tackle the topic.
The event, co-hosted by Students First and the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO), will take place on Thursday, April 28 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Boys Latin of Philadelphia Charter School, 5501 Cedar Ave., Philadelphia.
Attendees will hear an overview of the Opportunity Scholarship and Educational Improvement Tax Credit Act (Senate Bill 1), listen to teachers and parents speak about school choice and get an opportunity to voice your opinion and ask questions.
“Providing every child with an opportunity to receive a quality education is the lynchpin of nearly everything we seek to accomplish throughout the state, and I believe that opportunity scholarships and EITC are key elements in reaching that goal,” Williams said. “If enacted, this legislation will have a big effect on students, families and school systems, so I welcome everyone to attend this event to learn more about how school choice will impact Pennsylvania.”
Williams is a co-sponsor and a leading proponent of Senate Bill 1, which would provide families with a chance to send their children to a public, private, parochial or charter school of their choice, as well as increase Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) funding by $25 million. EITC allows businesses to make donations to scholarship organizations and receive up to a 90 percent tax credit for their donation. In return, the scholarship organizations provide scholarships to families who earn $50,000 (with an allowance of $10,000 for each additional dependent) to send their children to a school of their choice, including pre-kindergarten.
The legislation was recently approved in the both the Senate Education Committee and Appropriations Committee. A full vote on the Senate floor is expected later this month.
For more information, call 215-492-2980 or visit the senator’s website at www.senatoranthonyhwilliams.com.
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