Pressure Mounts on Hochul Over Education Tax Credit

A group advocating for parents of students in religious private schools is intensifying its appeal to Governor Cathy Hochul to engage with a federal tax credit program. This initiative could potentially benefit over 2.7 million students in New York.

Initially, Hochul indicated that the state would participate in the Education Freedom Tax Credit, which was enacted by Congress and signed into law by President Trump. However, following this, powerful teachers’ unions have launched efforts to persuade her to reconsider.

In response, the Teach Coalition for New York State, which represents both Jewish and Catholic schools as well as families with students in public schools, is rolling out its own substantial advertising campaign on both digital and print platforms across the state.

“This campaign is a broad coalition with a singular aim: to encourage Governor Hochul to take advantage of the Education Freedom Tax Credit,” stated Sidney Altfield, the CEO of the Teach Coalition. He highlighted that the coalition includes public and non-public school parents, charter school advocates, community leaders, business entities, and faith organizations throughout New York.

“The governor has already shown support for opting in, and we urge him to act promptly once the federal guidelines are in place,” said Altfield.

Dennis Paust, executive director of the New York State Catholic Conference, expressed support as well, suggesting they are offering “air support” for Hochul’s desire to take part in the program.

Advocates emphasize that across 31 states, 31 million students have opted into school choice programs, with 2.7 million of those from New York.

This program allows a 100% federal tax deduction for contributions to approved scholarship organizations, capped at $1,700 annually. The funds collected will provide scholarships to help cover tuition for students in private schools.

Supporters argue that public school students can also receive scholarships to help with costs for tutoring, after-school programs, and transportation.

Lihua Li, a public school parent from Queens, spoke in favor of scholarship initiatives that assist with after-school expenses. “I work full-time, and my day often stretches beyond my younger son’s school hours. Without a safe and affordable after-school program, I wouldn’t have a dependable option for picking him up,” she shared.

Conversely, the influential New York State United Teachers Union argues that these tax credits take the form of a privatization or “voucher” program that could encourage families to leave public schools. They are spearheading their own initiative, called New Yorkers for Public Schools, which is pushing a letter-writing campaign urging Hochul to decline participation.

“New York State needs to decide whether to join a federal tax credit voucher initiative that diverts taxpayer money to private school tuition assistance,” reads a sample letter from their campaign. “This federal system poses a risk of undermining our public schools, which educate about 90% of our children and are central to community life. Public funds should support public education.”

“Governor Hochul, we appeal to you to reject New York State’s participation in a program that undermines schools, subsidizes private tuition, and breaks commitments made to all children in New York.”

A representative for Hochul recently communicated that the governor, who is seeking re-election, remains supportive of the scholarship initiative. “Governor Hochul backs federal tax credit scholarships and recognizes their potential benefits for New York students and schools,” the spokesperson stated.

“Our office is currently awaiting guidance from the federal government on this program and will carefully assess the policy details to ensure they don’t negatively affect education in New York,” they added.

Teach Coalition’s Altfield noted that there’s a considerable amount of misinformation circulating regarding the tax credit program. “Every child deserves access to resources that can aid their success, and this initiative aims to facilitate that. Federal education funds designed for New York’s children should not go unutilized,” she emphasized.

“The coalition stands united in advocating for Governor Hochul’s decision and urges him to agree to the regulations as soon as they are introduced, keeping the focus on the needs of New York’s children.”