Josh Shapiro supports ‘lifeline scholarships’ championed by school-choice proponents

It doesn’t make his stump speeches, which he reserves for full-throated support for traditional public schools.

But Democratic gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro confirmed Saturday that he is open, at least conceptually, to giving direct-to-student tax-funded scholarships that parents and guardians of students in the state’s worst-performing public schools could use for a variety of options ranging from tutoring to paying for tuition at a different school.

A version of the program, called “lifeline scholarships” passed the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in April on a 104-98 vote, which supporters noted marked the first time a direct-to-student scholarship bill ever passed the state House. The bill also cleared the state Senate Education Committee in June, though because of an amendment there it would still need final passage votes in both chambers before getting to Gov. Tom Wolf’s desk for enactment or a veto.

The bill under consideration, sponsored by Republican House members Clint Owlett, R-Wellsboro, and Martina White, R-Philadelphia, would apply to students in the bottom 15 percent of elementary and secondary schools, as measured by their aggregate scores on standardized test. That would cover, according to fiscal analyses of the bill, about 191,000 students in 382 schools, across 76 of the state’s 500 school districts.

According to state Department of Education data, 80 percent of students in those schools are students of color and low-income children.

The Owlett-White bill would route about $6,700 in state aid from the affected school districts to students in the qualifying schools for use on approved educational expenses such as tuition at a different public or private school, tutoring, computers or other helps. The remainder of the per-student aid, estimated at about $12,500, would stay with the school district.

Shapiro’s support for the lifeline scholarship concept is outlined on the education page on his campaign Website, which states in part: Josh favors adding choices for parents and educational opportunity for students and funding lifeline scholarships like those approved in other states and introduced in Pennsylvania.

Addressing Democratic supporters Saturday, Shapiro focused on other things. He said he wants to continue Gov. Tom Wolf’s work on increasing state funding to public schools, and reduce the amount of standardized testing to give districts and teachers more time for teaching and teaching of non-test subjects like history, civics, art and music.

He said he also wants to guarantee that every student has access to technical and vocational courses, and he wants to require that every school building have at least one dedicated mental health counselor on staff.

The scholarship issue only came up in a round of questions with reporters after the speech.

“I’m for fully funding public education. I’m for making sure we give parents the ability put their kids in the best situation for them to be able to succeed. And I’m for making sure we add scholarships like lifeline scholarships to make sure that that’s additive to their educations. That it gives them other opportunities... to be able to help them achieve success,” Shapiro said.

Shapiro, who has enrolled his own children in a faith-based private school that he also attended a generation ago, stopped short of saying he would sign the current bill, which he said has some flaws. But he made clear he is open to the concept.

Shapiro, who is endorsed by the state major’s public school teachers’ unions - ardent opponents of policies that move tax dollars from systems to students - said he has not heard any direct pushback from his allies over this issue.

PennLive reached to a spokesman for the Pennsylvania State Education Association for comment, but he reserved comment until he could learn more about Shapiro’s position.

Shapiro’s Republican opponent, state Sen. Doug Mastriano, is a strong proponent of full-blown school choice and has proposed a school funding reform proposal that would send a portion of the state aid paid out for every Pennsylvania student to families. Mastriano’s proposal has been roundly criticized by PSEA and a group of school board members from around the state.

The lifeline scholarship plan is much more targeted to the worst-performing schools in the state. Versions of the proposal have been offered in the state legislature since Gov. Tom Ridge’s administration, including some supported by Democratic lawmakers who argued that children attending poor schools now only have one childhood and they can’t wait for hoped-for turnarounds.

Shapiro characterized his support for student scholarships as a “both / and” proposition when it comes to public schools.

“I have always supported, invested in and spoken about the need to fully fund public education, to invest to make sure every single kid gets that opportunity and to make sure we are meeting our Constitutional obligation” for fair funding levels statewide, he said.

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