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House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted:	April 14, 2015 01:07 PM
From:	Representative James R. Roebuck, Jr.
To:	All House members
Subject:	EITC for Educational Improvement Organizations serving Low-Achieving Schools

In the near future I intend to introduce legislation that would establish a new Educational Improvement Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit program to authorize $50 million in tax credits for businesses that contribute to an Educational Improvement Organization that provide grants to school districts with low achieving schools to improve their academic performance in meeting state academic standards. A low achieving school is a public school that is ranked in the lowest 15% based on combined mathematics and reading scores from the annual state assessments. There are currently an estimated 386 schools in the state that are low achieving schools. School districts receiving grants from Educational Improvement Organizations funded through these tax credits would initiate an educational improvement program that could include the following initiatives: Providing intensive academic tutoring for all students during the school day who are not proficient in reading and math to bring them up to academic proficiency. Providing for after school and summer programs that include tutoring, mentoring and other social and academic programs. Working with social service agencies to provide support and counseling to at-risk students and their families so parents can be more engaged in their child’s education and students can better focus on their schoolwork. Working with community partnerships and wraparound programs that provide health and human services to students and their families focusing on trauma-informed education and positive behavioral support. This legislation will complement the existing Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit program enacted 2012 that authorized $50 million in tax credits for businesses contributing to an Opportunity Scholarship Organization that provides scholarships for students residing in low achieving schools to attend a non-public school. With this new Educational Improvement Opportunity Tax Credit program, businesses will have a choice in how they want to assist students in low achieving schools to achieve academic success. I want to stress that the additional $50 million in tax credits for this program would not replace but would be in addition to tax credits provided in the existing Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit program. If you have any questions or need more information regarding this legislation, please contact my office at 717-787-7044. Thank you in advance for your support.

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