Turzai appears as supporter at voucher news conference

HARRISBURG "' Appearing at a press conference to unveil a new school voucher plan, House Majority Leader Mike Turzai said he hoped that "ultimately" the Legislature could "get something done that works for everybody."

"We're looking for opportunities where parents and kids can look to other places to help improve their lives ... we think in the end every public school will be better," said Turzai, R-Bradford Wood, the lead co-sponsor of the bill.

He made his cautious statement on a proposed voucher program prior to a House Republican Caucus meeting on education reform where leaders hope to test the support of GOP members for vouchers and legislation making it easier for charter schools to form.

Taxpayer-funded vouchers would help parents send their children to private and parochial schools.

The question still remains as to whether a voucher bill will make its way through both chambers of the state Legislature before lawmakers pass a budget and recess for the summer. Gov. Tom Corbett said yesterday he wants to see some sort of voucher legislation passed before the June 30 budget deadline set by state law. But the deadline has not been met in eight years.

The latest proposal, authored by Rep. Jim Christiana, R-Beaver County, would make school vouchers available to low-income children who attend the lowest-performing 5 percent of Pennsylvania schools.

The vouchers would be available starting in the 2012-2013 school year. The bill also would open up Educational Improvement Tax Credit scholarships to families earning up to $60,000. Last year, only families earning $50,000 or less qualified for the scholarships.

Christiana stressed the importance of getting a voucher plan passed before recess saying, "We have 78 days till those kids go back to schools in those violent failing school districts and we need to send them a message, we need to get the House and the Senate and the governor's office together to finalize a plan."

Under Christiana's proposal, school vouchers would be capped at the cost of tuition and the extra money would stay with the public school.

It's a two-year program, which supporters would hope to expand in subsequent years. But the program would automatically renew every two years unless the Legislature decided to end it, said Rep. Tony Payton, D-Philadelphia, a co-sponsor.

Teachers' unions oppose voucher legislation, saying it will take money away from schools that are already struggling.

Matthew Brouillette, president of the limited-government group Commonwealth Foundation, who appeared at the conference in support, said schools need to get back to teaching "reading, writing and arithmetic rather than rape, robbery and riots."