by Vince Anch
On the evening of April 9, something historic took place for our Catholic schools in the state capital. The Kansas House of Representatives voted to override Governor Laura Kelly’s veto of Senate Bill 361, that will now opt Kansas into the new federal Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA).
The Kansas Senate had voted overwhelming (29-10) to override the governor’s veto earlier in the day. The House needed 84 votes to override the veto. They got 85 votes. Every single email or call to legislators helped.
ECCA enables qualified scholarship granting organizations (SGOs), like the Catholic Education Foundation, to raise funds for scholarships and offer donors federal tax credits that are equal in value to their donations.
This means that if a donor gives $1,000 to an SGO, the donor will receive $1,000 in tax credits to use when paying federal taxes. SGOs can then offer new scholarships to families needing financial assistance to send their children to a Catholic school.
The maximum donation allowed is $1,700 per person, per year. CEF will pool together donations and offer scholarships based on family need.
Other tax credit scholarship programs or school choice programs are usually limited to families that qualify for the federal free or reduced lunch program. The federal government set the household income level at 300% of area median income for families to qualify. This enables middle-class families to qualify for these scholarships. This could be a real game changer for helping many more families realize their dreams of sending their children to Catholic schools.
The program doesn’t take effect until Jan. 1, 2027. Families will have to complete standard financial aid forms before applying for a scholarship. Donors will need to fill out a special application from CEF to qualify for the federal tax credits.
Public school students can also benefit from these scholarships if a public school district creates an SGO and receives donations to fund scholarships.
We know that our Catholic schools offer more than a high-quality education. They also provide faith formation to help students grow spiritually.
Our schools continue to outperform their peer public schools in many areas, including graduation rates and college enrollment rates. CEF’s mission is to provide a Catholic education to every child regardless of his or her financial means. This new program will help CEF move closer to fulfilling this important mission.
