Thursday, March 30, 2000
Tax plan benefits non-public schools
Bill would create education savings account
BY JAMES PILCHER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
For parents of the estimated 76,000 Tristate students who attend private or parochial schools, tax relief may be on the way.
The U.S. House today is scheduled to begin debating a bill that would allow parents to put up to $2,000 of pretax income into an “education savings account” similar to an individual retirement account.
Parents could use the funds and any additional earnings to pay for private as well as public educational costs.
“If this assists parents to get diplomas and degrees for their kids, and those schools are accredited by the government, why shouldn't we be able to get a break on them?” said Susan Toth, 45, of Price Hill, who sends her three kids to one of the Tristate's many parochial schools. “This will keep everyone living in the community and going to the schools they want. It's something we'll definitely look into doing if it passes.”
The bill, titled the Education Savings and School Excellence Act of 2000, would mod ify a program that now allows parents to save $500 tax free a year for college educational costs.
The new plan, which would cut taxes by an estimated $2.4 billion over 10 years, would allow parents to spend the money on all schools, not just college.
With eligibility limited to parents with a single income of less than $110,000 or a joint income of less than $160,000, it has already passed the U.S. Senate and is expected to barely pass through the House.
According to the Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based think tank, about 52 million children nationally would be qualified for the new programs.
Even though the bill modifies a program introduced by President Clinton three years ago, the administration has opposed the changes.
It is not clear whether Mr. Clinton would veto the bill if it does pass through both houses, or if Republicans have enough votes to override such a veto.
“Instead of the one-size-fits-all approach we generally take on the federal level, this allows the parents to fit the education to the child,” said Rep. Rob Portman, R-Terrace Park, “And we Republicans need to really chat this up so the public support is behind it and the president, in an election year with education an big issue, has no choice but to sign it.”
Critics have called the proposal another form of vouchers, the controversial programs that allows parents to use the public funds allocated for their child on private school tuition. Several such programs — including one in Cleveland — have been struck down by various courts because they pump public money into religious organizations.
“Actually, it's more nefarious than some voucher programs out there because this just becomes another entitlement for the middle class,” said Cincinnati Federation of Teachers President Tom Mooney, who was in Washington, D.C., Wednesday helping lobby against the bill. “Why not have a swimming pool credit for those who don't like the public pool down the street and then build their own?”
But several area parents with children in private schools said they would welcome the new program, and the money that would accompany it.
With three teen-agers headed for Northern Kentucky's Villa Madonna Academy, Fran Mando of Villa Hills said every little bit of tax relief would help, especially since the government has recently cracked down on tax deductions.
Mrs. Mando said that parents used to be able to include part of their tuition in their weekly church contributions and claim those “donations” as charitable donations.
But six years ago, she said, that changed, with the government mandating that parents pay their tuition separately from their donations.
“Anything that would help defray the cost and help us save for college is great,” Mrs. Mando said.
Bill Woeste of Fairfield said he didn't see the program as mixing church and state, and that he, too, would have the money taken out of his paycheck each week.
“It's not furthering the inspirations of religious organizations, it's helping kids get into higher education,” said Mr. Woeste, who has one child at Badin High and three at Sacred Heart Elementary in Fairfield. “And I already invest in anything that gives me a tax break, so what's one more when it comes to my kids' education?”
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