Senate Passes School Voucher Program; Bill Heads to House
$100 million program provides taxpayer-funded scholarships to attend nonpublic schools
June 29, 2023
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$100 million program provides taxpayer-funded scholarships to attend nonpublic schools
Capping off an evening session, the Pennsylvania Senate approved a $100 million school voucher program to provide scholarships to help eligible students pay tuition, fees and special education services for attendance at a participating nonpublic school.
The program – titled the Pennsylvania Award For Student Success scholarship program (PASS) – has also been called “lifeline scholarships” and have been a wedge issue between the governor, Republicans and Democrats in Harrisburg.
The measure passed the Senate by a 29-21 count with Anthony Williams (D-Philadelphia) crossing the aisle to vote with the Republican caucus.
The bill – House Bill 479 – now goes to the House where Democrats hold the slightest of majorities at 102-102.
Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland), Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-Armstrong / Indiana / Jefferson / Westmoreland) and Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Scott Martin (R-Lancaster / Berks) released a statement following the session.
“Successful governing requires cooperation and compromise. Tonight, the Senate has sent the House legislation to implement the Pennsylvania Award for Student Success (PASS) Initiative, a bipartisan program to give children in Pennsylvania access to the best learning environment possible. Once House Bill 479 reaches the governor’s desk, we will continue our work to send the General Appropriations bill and all other budget related bills to the House.”
“This is really a historic thing to do here in Pennsylvania,” Ward added. “Making history is not easy and it’s not cheap. I’ll say that.”
“The goal of legislation like this – whether it’s a so-called “Lifeline Scholarship” or the “Pennsylvania Award for Student Success Scholarship Program” – is to push vulnerable students and families into private and religious schools where they check their Constitutional rights at the door,” said Sen. Lindsey M. Williams (D-Allegheny). “Our students lose nearly every right afforded to them when they enroll in a private school.
“The bill before us today is a part of the long-term plan to defund, destabilize, and destroy public education. Voucher programs only came about after the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision so that white families could attend segregated private schools and avoid integration, all on the taxpayer’s dime.”
Sen. Katie Muth (D-Berks / Chester / Montgomery) added, “this effort is nothing more than a coordinated effort to privatize education in Pennsylvania and a slap in the face to everyone working so hard to lift up the school districts that have suffered the most from severe underfunding over the past few decades.”
Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro has said he would support the bill as long as it is part of a full budget agreement but not on its own.
Capping off an evening session, the Pennsylvania Senate approved a $100 million school voucher program to provide scholarships to help eligible students pay tuition, fees and special education services for attendance at a participating nonpublic school.
The program – titled the Pennsylvania Award For Student Success scholarship program (PASS) – has also been called “lifeline scholarships” and have been a wedge issue between the governor, Republicans and Democrats in Harrisburg.
The measure passed the Senate by a 29-21 count with Anthony Williams (D-Philadelphia) crossing the aisle to vote with the Republican caucus.
The bill – House Bill 479 – now goes to the House where Democrats hold the slightest of majorities at 102-102.
Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland), Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-Armstrong / Indiana / Jefferson / Westmoreland) and Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Scott Martin (R-Lancaster / Berks) released a statement following the session.
“Successful governing requires cooperation and compromise. Tonight, the Senate has sent the House legislation to implement the Pennsylvania Award for Student Success (PASS) Initiative, a bipartisan program to give children in Pennsylvania access to the best learning environment possible. Once House Bill 479 reaches the governor’s desk, we will continue our work to send the General Appropriations bill and all other budget related bills to the House.”
“This is really a historic thing to do here in Pennsylvania,” Ward added. “Making history is not easy and it’s not cheap. I’ll say that.”
“The goal of legislation like this – whether it’s a so-called “Lifeline Scholarship” or the “Pennsylvania Award for Student Success Scholarship Program” – is to push vulnerable students and families into private and religious schools where they check their Constitutional rights at the door,” said Sen. Lindsey M. Williams (D-Allegheny). “Our students lose nearly every right afforded to them when they enroll in a private school.
“The bill before us today is a part of the long-term plan to defund, destabilize, and destroy public education. Voucher programs only came about after the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision so that white families could attend segregated private schools and avoid integration, all on the taxpayer’s dime.”
Sen. Katie Muth (D-Berks / Chester / Montgomery) added, “this effort is nothing more than a coordinated effort to privatize education in Pennsylvania and a slap in the face to everyone working so hard to lift up the school districts that have suffered the most from severe underfunding over the past few decades.”
Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro has said he would support the bill as long as it is part of a full budget agreement but not on its own.
Capping off an evening session, the Pennsylvania Senate approved a $100 million school voucher program to provide scholarships to help eligible students pay tuition, fees and special education services for attendance at a participating nonpublic school.
The program – titled the Pennsylvania Award For Student Success scholarship program (PASS) – has also been called “lifeline scholarships” and have been a wedge issue between the governor, Republicans and Democrats in Harrisburg.
The measure passed the Senate by a 29-21 count with Anthony Williams (D-Philadelphia) crossing the aisle to vote with the Republican caucus.
The bill – House Bill 479 – now goes to the House where Democrats hold the slightest of majorities at 102-102.
Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland), Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-Armstrong / Indiana / Jefferson / Westmoreland) and Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Scott Martin (R-Lancaster / Berks) released a statement following the session.
“Successful governing requires cooperation and compromise. Tonight, the Senate has sent the House legislation to implement the Pennsylvania Award for Student Success (PASS) Initiative, a bipartisan program to give children in Pennsylvania access to the best learning environment possible. Once House Bill 479 reaches the governor’s desk, we will continue our work to send the General Appropriations bill and all other budget related bills to the House.”
“This is really a historic thing to do here in Pennsylvania,” Ward added. “Making history is not easy and it’s not cheap. I’ll say that.”
“The goal of legislation like this – whether it’s a so-called “Lifeline Scholarship” or the “Pennsylvania Award for Student Success Scholarship Program” – is to push vulnerable students and families into private and religious schools where they check their Constitutional rights at the door,” said Sen. Lindsey M. Williams (D-Allegheny). “Our students lose nearly every right afforded to them when they enroll in a private school.
“The bill before us today is a part of the long-term plan to defund, destabilize, and destroy public education. Voucher programs only came about after the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision so that white families could attend segregated private schools and avoid integration, all on the taxpayer’s dime.”
Sen. Katie Muth (D-Berks / Chester / Montgomery) added, “this effort is nothing more than a coordinated effort to privatize education in Pennsylvania and a slap in the face to everyone working so hard to lift up the school districts that have suffered the most from severe underfunding over the past few decades.”
Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro has said he would support the bill as long as it is part of a full budget agreement but not on its own.
Capping off an evening session, the Pennsylvania Senate approved a $100 million school voucher program to provide scholarships to help eligible students pay tuition, fees and special education services for attendance at a participating nonpublic school.
The program – titled the Pennsylvania Award For Student Success scholarship program (PASS) – has also been called “lifeline scholarships” and have been a wedge issue between the governor, Republicans and Democrats in Harrisburg.
The measure passed the Senate by a 29-21 count with Anthony Williams (D-Philadelphia) crossing the aisle to vote with the Republican caucus.
The bill – House Bill 479 – now goes to the House where Democrats hold the slightest of majorities at 102-102.
Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland), Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-Armstrong / Indiana / Jefferson / Westmoreland) and Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Scott Martin (R-Lancaster / Berks) released a statement following the session.
“Successful governing requires cooperation and compromise. Tonight, the Senate has sent the House legislation to implement the Pennsylvania Award for Student Success (PASS) Initiative, a bipartisan program to give children in Pennsylvania access to the best learning environment possible. Once House Bill 479 reaches the governor’s desk, we will continue our work to send the General Appropriations bill and all other budget related bills to the House.”
“This is really a historic thing to do here in Pennsylvania,” Ward added. “Making history is not easy and it’s not cheap. I’ll say that.”
“The goal of legislation like this – whether it’s a so-called “Lifeline Scholarship” or the “Pennsylvania Award for Student Success Scholarship Program” – is to push vulnerable students and families into private and religious schools where they check their Constitutional rights at the door,” said Sen. Lindsey M. Williams (D-Allegheny). “Our students lose nearly every right afforded to them when they enroll in a private school.
“The bill before us today is a part of the long-term plan to defund, destabilize, and destroy public education. Voucher programs only came about after the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision so that white families could attend segregated private schools and avoid integration, all on the taxpayer’s dime.”
Sen. Katie Muth (D-Berks / Chester / Montgomery) added, “this effort is nothing more than a coordinated effort to privatize education in Pennsylvania and a slap in the face to everyone working so hard to lift up the school districts that have suffered the most from severe underfunding over the past few decades.”
Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro has said he would support the bill as long as it is part of a full budget agreement but not on its own.
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