WFMZ by Christen Smith, October 6, 2021

(The Center Square) – House lawmakers passed a measure Tuesday that expands the size and scope of tuition vouchers for Pennsylvania’s economically disadvantaged schools.  Three Democrats joined all of the chamber’s Republicans in approving House Bill 1642, which lowers the threshold for schools to qualify as economically disadvantaged under the law. Currently, schools with 75% or more of students receiving tuition assistance through the Opportunity Tax Credit Scholarship (OSTC) program qualify for an additional $1,000 credit. Under the provisions of the bill, sponsored by Philadelphia Republican Rep. Martina White, schools with 51% of students receiving the OSTC would qualify for the economically disadvantaged scholarship. Credit amounts would increase to $2,000 for elementary and middle school students and $4,000 for high school students to better reflect the gap between families’ ability to pay and the cost to educate, White said.

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