Scholarship Act passes Senate committee, receives bishops' support
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
Scholarship Act passes Senate committee, receives bishops' support
Scott [email protected]
The committee chose to hold its meeting on the steps of the statehouse, where both supporters and opponents of the bill were gathered for a rally. The committee heard testimony from both sides, including Newark Auxiliary Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, who spoke on behalf of the state's Catholic bishops. Joining Bishop da Cunha in offering supportive testimony were religious leaders from other faiths, including members of Lakewood's Jewish community, and New Jersey Education Commissioner Bret Schundler.
The bill, S-1872, was introduced by Senators Raymond Lesniak, Tom Kean and Joe Kyrillos in March. It proposes a five-year pilot program in which students who reside in districts where chronically failing schools are located and whose families earn less than 2.5 times the national poverty level would be eligible for scholarship assistance to attend public or nonpublic schools. Using a model that has been successful in other states, the bill would allow corporations to donate to scholarship funds in exchange for tax credits.
Although the bill has received the support of Gov. Chris Christie, it has a strong opponent in the New Jersey Education Association. The NJEA claims the legislation would create a voucher system in which public school funds would be diverted to private schools at a time when public education is already facing drastic cuts.
The bishops voiced their approval of the legislation to state officials in a letter mailed May 7. For the complete text of the bishops' letter, click here.
A website has also been developed as an information resource for the five New Jersey dioceses on the status of the bill. The site can be accessed at www.wecandobetter-nj.org
Full coverage of the rally and vote on the Opportunity Scholarship Act will be forthcoming in The Monitor and on TrentonMonitor.com.
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The committee chose to hold its meeting on the steps of the statehouse, where both supporters and opponents of the bill were gathered for a rally. The committee heard testimony from both sides, including Newark Auxiliary Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, who spoke on behalf of the state's Catholic bishops. Joining Bishop da Cunha in offering supportive testimony were religious leaders from other faiths, including members of Lakewood's Jewish community, and New Jersey Education Commissioner Bret Schundler.
The bill, S-1872, was introduced by Senators Raymond Lesniak, Tom Kean and Joe Kyrillos in March. It proposes a five-year pilot program in which students who reside in districts where chronically failing schools are located and whose families earn less than 2.5 times the national poverty level would be eligible for scholarship assistance to attend public or nonpublic schools. Using a model that has been successful in other states, the bill would allow corporations to donate to scholarship funds in exchange for tax credits.
Although the bill has received the support of Gov. Chris Christie, it has a strong opponent in the New Jersey Education Association. The NJEA claims the legislation would create a voucher system in which public school funds would be diverted to private schools at a time when public education is already facing drastic cuts.
The bishops voiced their approval of the legislation to state officials in a letter mailed May 7. For the complete text of the bishops' letter, click here.
A website has also been developed as an information resource for the five New Jersey dioceses on the status of the bill. The site can be accessed at www.wecandobetter-nj.org
Full coverage of the rally and vote on the Opportunity Scholarship Act will be forthcoming in The Monitor and on TrentonMonitor.com.
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