On Tuesday, April 14, the PA House Education Committee held an informational hearing on the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs. These are two of Pennsylvania’s most successful school choice initiatives.
Here are three key takeaways from the hearing:
1. School Choice is Helping Lift Children Out of Poverty
In one Pittsburgh neighborhood, a public high school closed, forcing students in the district to be shipped to other schools.
“Imani is an alternative,” testified Paulo Nzambi, Head of School at Imani Christian Academy, describing how they serve families in this underserved community. “Our students hail from areas of the city that have not seen any significant investment.”
Pennsylvania’s EITC and OSTC programs have served over 100,000 students in the 2023–2024 school year alone. Yet, due to program caps, nearly 70,000 additional students were denied scholarships.
“The tax credit programs free [families] to select their school of choice. It liberates them from being forced to sacrifice safety and accept underperformance simply because they live in a specific zip code…We also appreciate the meaningful avenue out of poverty that these tax credits create for our students,” Nzambi added.
2. Democrat Lawmakers Expressed Strong Opposition to the Programs
During the hearing, several PA House Democrats voiced opposition to expanding school choice.
“I am 100% against this,” said Rep. Tarah Probst (D – Monroe), referring to programs like EITC.
Rep. Mary Isaacson (D – Philadelphia) argued that scholarship funds “should be coming to the Commonwealth directly” and described the funding as money “that should be ours.”
PA House Education Chair Peter Schweyer (D – Lehigh) questioned the effectiveness of participating schools, stating, “We have no idea if these schools are even good.”
The fact is, many families continue to seek out these options, suggesting a strong demand for alternatives that meet their children’s needs.
3. Record Public School Spending Has Not Delivered Improved Outcomes
This school year, Pennsylvania will spend $17.7 billion on public education, a 68% increase over the past decade. This amounts to more than $23,000 per student.
Despite this increase, more than two-thirds of Pennsylvania 8th graders are not proficient in math or reading. Pennsylvania also recorded some of its lowest reading scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress in 2024.
Spending on public education continues to rise, while significant measurable outcomes keeps going down.
Notably, while raising concerns about EITC, Rep. Schweyer stated, “If it costs $1,000 or $100,000 to invest in a kid, we’re going to do that.”
If we’re even suggesting such an increase in funding, maybe it’s time to further invest in educational alternatives.
“The continued push by some lawmakers to fund only traditional brick-and-mortar public education reflects an outdated view of education, and our students and taxpayers deserve better,” said PA Family’s Dan Bartkowiak. “We’re failing many families and need a different approach to address the challenges facing students and families.”
