Lawmakers introduce a private school tuition tax credit proposal.
A new bill in the state Legislature would give a tax break to parents of students in Wisconsin private schools to help them pay for an alternative to public schools. “We want to have a tax credit that when phased in will save people $1,500 on their Wisconsin income tax return for every child in a private school from kindergarten through eighth grade and $2,500 for any high school child.”
Senate Republican Glenn Grothman of West Bend introduced the bill in the Senate. He says the tuition tax credit is a step toward providing “educational diversity.” It’s an alternative to the governor’s tax-funded voucher plan for private schools in up to nine new school districts. “Governor Walker’s voucher program is only specific to a few cities and even there it gives preference to people on free and reduced lunch. It will not help the middle class and it will not help people in the vast majority of cities in the state.”
Walker has said he’d favor private school tax credits in addition to vouchers, but not as a replacement for them.
Assembly Republican Dean Kaufert of Neenah co-sponsored the measure, which would be phased in beginning taxable year 2014.
AUDIO: Jackie Johnson report 1:17
