On hold

The Democratic-controlled Senate Finance Committee voted down a bill earlier this month that would have established tax credit for Virginia companies donating money to nonprofit, scholarship-providing organizations. Under the legislation, the state would have granted up to $25 million in tax credit to corporations every year. As a result, Virginia's school choice movement is on hold, at least until the next state election this fall.

The bill, sponsored by Del. Jimmie Massie, R-Henrico, would have given businesses incentive to make cash donations leading to scholarships for disadvantaged youths. Students receiving the scholarships would have had the option to attend private elementary or secondary schools. The corporations making the donations would have been given tax credit worth 70 percent of their donation.

"Once again, Democrats in the Senate have unfortunately voted against innovative education reforms that would increase educational opportunities for Virginia's underprivileged children, and have instead decided to side with special interest groups and unions," said Governor McDonnell in a statement issued after the vote.

Opponents of the measure, including the Virginia Education Association and the Virginia School Boards Association, argued that the bill would take money away from Virginia's public education system.

"The last thing Virginia needs right now is a new entitlement program which provides tax support for private-school tuitions," said Robley Jones, the Virginia Education Association's Director of Government Relations.

Supporters of the bill, however, argue that tax credits and similar measures improve education across the board and save the state money, in part by forcing public schools to compete for students. "Virginia is woefully behind the nation in providing diverse educational opportunities outside the public school system," said Victoria Cobb, the President of the Family Foundation. "This bill was a good first step in bringing Virginia in line with other states that recognize the positive impact of educational choice."

"The next step is to see what happens [in] the Senate and House elections next fall," said Chris Braunlich, Vice President of the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy. "It could become a political issue on either side."

Braunlich believes that, even if Democrats retain control of the Senate, school choice measures might still pass in the General Assembly. Parents in urban areas and other places with strong Democratic roots are clearly not happy with their public schools or the current available options, he said. Some Democratic senators might be persuaded to support school choice measures given more pressure from constituents.

"The failure of the school choice movement in Virginia is the failure to inform the public in these constituencies" about the benefits of school choice, Braunlich said.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau Public Education Finance Report 2008, which was issued in June 2010, the state of Virginia spends $10,659 per student in public elementary and secondary schools.

Several conservative and religious groups spoke out in support of the bill, urging the Senate to carefully consider educational choice. Supporters argued that the bill provided opportunity to disadvantaged families and that competition between private and public schools would help the system. "The competition, as we would expect in a capitalist world, would not just be helping the kids but would be improving the public school system," said Cobb.

School choice is a delicate issue in the state. The Virginia Constitution limits state spending to public schools, making school voucher programs virtually impossible. Article 8, Section 10 of the Virginia Constitution reads, "No appropriation of public funds shall be made to any school or institution of learning not owned or exclusively controlled by the State or some political subdivision thereof."

But tax credit programs, such as the one introduced in the defeated HB 2314, are legally possible. Delegate Massie's bill was modeled after the 2001 Florida legislation that allows corporations to receive tax credit for donations made to nonprofit organizations providing scholarships to the underprivileged. In 2010, Florida expanded the state funding and scholarship eligibility of the program. Over 30,000 students have benefited from scholarships provided through the program.

Opponents claim that the Florida legislation cost the state millions and that there is no concrete proof that students are better off in private school rather than public. "A school voucher program targets only a few students. State legislators should be committed to the success of every child. Our public schools should all be places of excellence where every child is offered an opportunity to reach his or her full potential," said Dr. Kitty Boitnott, President of the Virginia Education Association, at the February 14th Coalition Rally in Richmond, Va.

Virginia's public education system was ranked 4th best in the nation by Education Week in a recent publication, and earlier this month, College Board's "AP Report to the Nation" showed that Virginia students ranked 3rd in the country in achievement on advanced placement tests.

But not all research reflects positive grades for Virginia public schools.

The 2009 "Nation's Report Card" issued by the National Assessment of Educational Progress showed that 61 percent of fourth-graders and 66 percent of eighth-graders in Virginia are below proficient when it comes to reading. It also showed that 58 percent of fourth-graders and 65 percent of eighth-graders in Virginia are below proficient in mathematics. The NAEP uses average scores and achievement-level results to rate students' proficiency, which "represents solid academic performance" and "demonstrates competency over challenging subject matter." The publication also noted that Virginia public schools showed little or no improvement between 2007 and 2009.

Virginia is not the only state struggling over the topic of school choice. New Jersey is undergoing a heated debate over the Opportunity Scholarship Act, a proposal which would grant tax credit to businesses sponsoring scholarships. Pennsylvania is considering a taxpayer-funded voucher that would help needy children attend alternative schools. With reporting by Les Sillars

The Associated Press contributed to this story.