TRENTON — The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee voted 8-5 to advance the Opportunity Scholarship Act, a bill that would offer vouchers for students in failing public schools to attend private and parochial institutions. The bill is a signature piece of Gov. Chris Christie’s education reform agenda, which he has been promoting since delivering his State of the State...
Overall view from the gallery as the Senate begins its session at the Statehouse. TRENTON — The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee voted 8-5 to advance the Opportunity Scholarship Act, a bill that would offer vouchers for students in failing public schools to attend private and parochial institutions.
The bill is a signature piece of Gov. Chris Christie’s education reform agenda, which he has been promoting since delivering his State of the State address last week. If implemented, the program would cost an approximate $825 million and serve 40,000 students in 166 failing public schools.
The scholarships – $6,000 for elementary school students and $9,000 for high school students – would be “budget neutral.” Money to fund them would come from donations made by businesses who would receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit in exchange for the donated funds.
Following speculation that the committee might not vote on the bill today, chairman and state Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen) said he brought the bill for for a vote because he wanted to give it a “fair hearing.” He, however, remains philosophically opposed to private school vouchers and voted against it.
“I’m very concerned with the children who are being left behind,” Sarlo said. “What’s the remedy for them?”
Before voting, the Senate committee heard hours of testimony from staunch opponents, like the New Jersey Education Association, and supporters, like Rev. Reginald Jackson of the Black Minister’s Council.
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