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<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\nIf it\u2019s the best kept secret, education leaders across the nation are running a full-court blitz to change that.<\/p>\n
If you haven\u2019t heard of the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit,<\/a> anyone who wants additional educational resources for kids will want to learn more.<\/p>\n The FSTC allows taxpayers to direct a credit up to $1,700 off their 2027 taxes<\/a> for a donation that is made to a recognized Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO). This donation would in turn be used by the SGO to provide financial assistance for the educational needs of public and private school students from kindergarten through 12th grade, which in turn could be used in a broad list of areas including tuition, before- and after-school activities, tutoring, special needs and supplies\/technology.<\/p>\n One necessary requirement regarding whether or not the students of Delaware or Maryland would have the opportunity to receive this financial assistance is that the governor, or a designee provided by law, opt-in to this federal program.<\/p>\n The two governors who represent people in the Diocese of Wilmington \u2013 Delaware\u2019s Matt Meyer and Maryland\u2019s Wes Moore<\/a> \u2013 have not yet chosen to opt-in to the program, which is necessary for people in those states to take advantage of the extra resources it would provide. Bishop William E. Koenig has met with both governors, encouraging them to sign on before the Jan. 1 deadline.<\/p>\n \u201cTo me, this is a no-brainer,\u201d said Steve Cheeseman, president and CEO of the National Catholic Educational Association.<\/a> Cheeseman spent time in Wilmington in early November visiting schools in the diocese and trying to spread the message of this landmark educational resource opportunity.<\/p>\n The legislation passed through Congress last year and takes effect beginning Jan. 1 for states that opt-in. Cheeseman emphasizes the funding mechanism is not just for Catholic school students.<\/p>\n \u201cContrary to what many people might say, this is not about school choice,\u201d Cheeseman said in an interview with The Dialog that was shared with the Catholic Forum podcast. \u201cIt\u2019s not about public schools vs. private schools. This is about giving every child increased opportunity to succeed in school.\u201d<\/p>\n Cheeseman represents the largest private educational association in the world. Members include 6,000 schools, 160,000 educators and 1.7 million students across the U.S.<\/p>\n \u201cOur basic function is to support those in evangelizing the mission of the church through the ministry of Catholic education. Our hope is to be the voice for Catholic schools,<\/a> and voice of Catholic schools.\u201d<\/p>\n Because the initiative was part of President Donald Trump\u2019s \u201cbig, beautiful bill\u201d last summer, Cheeseman is working to keep the issue away from politics, hoping to convince opponents of the president not to oppose it on the basis of it being part of his legislation.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone should be talking about the opportunity to provide additional resources to students,\u201d Cheeseman said after finishing a tour of the all-girls high school Padua Academy in Wilmington. \u201cPolitics gets in the way, but this should not be a political issue. The reality is this is about providing resources to kids.\u201d<\/p>\n Opposition to the initiative comes mostly from labor unions, but their arguments are limited to the idea that only public schools should get public money. The tax credit people choose does not reduce resources anywhere and is available to everyone, Cheeseman said. The tax credit made it through the political process thus far due to hard work by many people who would like to see kids have as many resources as possible, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been a long time in the making,\u201d he said. \u201cIt gives people the opportunity to make a donation that is a tax credit. It\u2019s an opportunity to help kids. You don\u2019t have to leave public school to get these resources. This is not a political issue, it\u2019s about giving kids tools.<\/p>\n \u201cMost teachers support it. Teachers, union and non-union, support the tax credit.<\/p>\n It includes all kinds of resources. It\u2019s a long list of eligible supports, a whole host of resources.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI (worked) in public schools for a number of years,\u201d Cheeseman said. \u201cThere are great teachers in public schools and great families. I came across numerous families that would have benefitted tremendously from something like this, to be able to get these extra resources that they couldn\u2019t afford.\u201d<\/p>\n He said taxpayers will lose out on the opportunity to receive additional resources for their children if governors don\u2019t sign on.<\/p>\n \u201cAnyone who cares about children and cares about education should care about governors saying \u2018yes\u2019 to this,\u201d he said. \u201cWithout it, it\u2019s just about missing out on another support for education. It just leaves kids without an opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n It would also open Catholic schools as an option for families that cannot currently afford it, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThis could be a game-changer for Catholic schools, especially those in an urban setting.<\/p>\n Catholic schools make a tremendous impact. And there are lots of kids in public schools \u2014 who need additional resources and supports \u2014 who this can help. There\u2019s only a downside to missing out.<\/p>\n \u201cI live in Connecticut, which has not opted in yet, although I hope they do,\u201d Cheeseman said.<\/p>\n \u201cIf they don\u2019t, I\u2019m going to be sending my check somewhere. It\u2019s a shame that it won\u2019t help a student in my own state and my own diocese. But it will help a student somewhere else.<\/p>\n \u201cThe best thing is to consistently remind governors that this is what this could mean and this is why we want you to say yes to this. If your governor doesn\u2019t opt-in, it\u2019s up to us to help people know how much money left that state because the governor said no. They\u2019re going to have to answer.\u201d<\/p>\n Cheeseman has no way to predict how it will work out here or elsewhere, although at least 30 states have \u00a0already joined in.<\/p>\n \u201cPolitics is hard to predict,\u201d he said. \u201cI believe many of the states that have not opted in, will opt-in. Most of the important questions about transparency, how to prevent fraud, what the eligible uses are and how this will work, most of them have been answered enough that people can make an educated decision. I do believe over the next month, most states will have opted in, although I would guess there will be some holdouts.\u201d<\/p>\n He\u2019d like this issue to become the worst-kept secret or no secret at all.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the things that has really surprised me is how many people don\u2019t know about this and can\u2019t have enough information to make an argument for or against. I would encourage bishops and pastors to talk about this. The more people hear it, in very simple terms and exactly how it works, I think you\u2019ll see a much more unified and clarified message about what this opportunity is.\u201d<\/p>\n Call Matt Meyer, Delaware: 302-577-3210, email link at governor.delaware.gov<\/a>; Wes Moore, Maryland: 410-974-3901, email link at md.accessgov.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n States must opt-in by Dec. 31 for all students to get access to this funding. Additional details can be found HERE<\/a> and HERE<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/a><\/a>