(The Center Square) – Gov. Kevin Stitt signed school choice expansion legislation that raises the amount of tax credits available for the state's Equal Opportunity Scholarship Act program.
Under Senate Bill 1080, signed by Stitt on Friday, up to $50 million in tax credits will be available, with $25 million for public schools and $25 million for private schools.
The grants can be used by families for scholarships to private schools and by public schools for new programs or classroom support, according to a news release from the governor's office.
“Over the past year, it’s become even more clear that education is not one-size-fits-all,” Stitt said in a statement. “Parents and students across Oklahoma want more options, and this program helps create more opportunities for kids to attend the school that best fits their needs.”
Under the program, individuals and businesses can receive a 50% tax credit for donations made to organizations that offer school scholarships to lower-income families.
EdChoice, a national nonprofit that supports choice programs, hailed the new tax credit limit.
“We’ve been working to expand Oklahoma’s tax-credit program for years so that more students can have access to these scholarships,” Leslie Hiner, director of the EdChoice Legal Defense and Education Center, said in a statement. “This increase will allow many more families to have options that were previously out of reach for their children.”
via Oklahoma's Center Square News