Corbett gears up for push on school vouchers

HARRISBURG -- Saying he believes the Legislature is in "as good a position" to get a school voucher bill passed as it has been "for many, many years," Gov. Tom Corbett said he wants lawmakers to approve legislation before leaving for recess next week.

"It's going to take a push," Corbett said on Thursday at an unrelated news conference.

Corbett's effort to win approval for vouchers, taxpayer-paid documents that parents could use to send their children to private or parochial schools, is the first major effort in the state House and Senate in more than a decade.

Kevin Harley, Corbett's spokesman, said a plan by Beaver County Republican Rep. Jim Christiana "seems to be a viable compromise that would be good for children" and a "likely vehicle in working a compromise that everybody could live with."

But the ranking Democrat on the House Education Committee, Rep. James Roebuck of Philadelphia, scoffed at Corbett's June 30 goal. "June 30, 2014, or something like that, is that what we're talking about?" Roebuck said.

He said he does not expect school vouchers to be approved before recess. Roebuck and Education Chairman Paul Clymer, R-Bucks, said they would favor more dialogue and hearings on the issue.

"Our hope is that we can get monumental education reform before we leave (for recess)," Christiana said. "Will it happen• Rep. (Mike) Turzai (House majority leader) and the Senate and the governor have all said they support a compromise plan," so it is just a matter of getting the details together.

Christiana's bill 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 2012-13 school year. The bill 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.

Rep. Tom Quigley, R-Montgomery, said school voucher legislation could be bundled with charter school reform and a teacher furlough bill to gain support.

Former Republican Gov. Tom Ridge made two unsuccessful bids to get lawmakers to approve vouchers for school choice.

Sari Heidenreich is an intern with the Pennsylvania Legislative Correspondents' Association.