Corbett open to voucher compromise to get legislation passed
HARRISBURG -- Gov. Tom Corbett wants to see a school voucher program enacted by June 30 and would support a compromise to scale the program back to two years from the four years he wanted, his spokesman said Monday.
Corbett, who in January identified vouchers as one of his priorities, still supports the four-year program proposed under Senate Bill 1 -- stalled in the Senate -- "but wants to see some type of vouchers pass," Kevin Harley, the governor's press secretary, said.
Meanwhile, House Republicans today are expected to hold a closed-door caucus session on vouchers and other education issues, lawmakers and staff said.
Rep. Jim Christiana, a Beaver County Republican, said he will introduce a two-year voucher proposal today.
"The next 48 hours are critical as to whether we are able to do something before June 30, or it moves to an issue considered in the fall," he said.
The state budget by law must be completed by June 30. Lawmakers will break for summer on or near that date.
The House Education Committee on Wednesday is expected to hold a hearing on voucher bills by Christiana, separate legislation by Rep. Curt Schroder, R-Chester County, and legislation giving charter schools more latitude to open.
Senate Education Chairman Jeffrey Piccola, R-Dauphin County, the lead sponsor of SB 1, also said he would "be more than willing" to negotiate a compromise for a two-year voucher program along with expanded business-paid scholarships through a state tax credit program, his spokeswoman said.
Christiana's compromise bill also would expand the Educational Improvement Tax Credit, or EITC. Corbett backs an expansion of the credit.
Rep. Tom Quigley, R-Montgomery County, author of an EITC expansion sent to the Senate in May, said Christiana's proposal is realistically "the best bet" for voucher legislation to pass before recess.
Under the bill, taxpayer-paid vouchers would enable low-income parents of kids in failing public schools to send their children to parochial and private schools, according to a co-sponsorship memo by Christiana. Middle-income kids would get more opportunities through an expanded scholarship program, he said.
Schroder yesterday announced two voucher bills. His broadest bill (HB 1679) would provide all students with $5,000 vouchers, and the second (HB 1678) would provide that same level of funding only to students who attend or live within the attendance boundary of one of the state's 144 failing schools. The broader bill, he said, is his preference, but the second is more realistic.
The Pennsylvania State Education Association, the state's largest teachers' union, opposes vouchers.
"This is not the time to be directing state money to any kind of a tuition voucher program because our public schools are on the chopping block, so to speak," union spokesman David Broderic said of the idea that vouchers would allow state money to follow students to private schools.
"Certainly, there are school districts that are struggling. ... School vouchers are not the answer," he said.
