In Judaism, we are accustomed to counting down (or up) toward a deadline: the 49 days of the Omer leading to Shavuot and the Asseret Yemai Teshuvah leading to Yom Kippur, to name two. Right now, we’re counting down to another deadline that could have a significant impact for Jewish day school parents and all non-public school parents in New York: the end of the legislative session in Albany on June 17.
A historic Education Tax Credit bill is pending, and our legislators will decide this month whether to assist New York’s non-public school families with real financial support.
Anyone connected to Jewish education knows about the challenge of day school and yeshiva tuition. With tuition often in the tens of thousands per child, families with even just one child enrolled in Jewish day school struggle to make ends meet. And our families, many of whom have three, four, or more children, believe in the value of Jewish education and a Jewish school environment for all of their children.
Governor Cuomo’s proposed tax credit program-the Parental Choice in Education Act-will help New York families of all backgrounds give their children the best education they deserve. The governor’s bill has the potential to provide millions of dollars in tax credits for donations made to public schools and/or not-for-profit scholarship granting organizations. Tax credits for donations would reduce a taxpayer’s state tax liability, dollar-for-dollar, for up to 75 percent of what is owed in income or corporate franchise taxes.
Full story at the Jewish Press
Tell your legislators: support the Education Tax Credit
The words of this author reflect his/her own opinions and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Orthodox Union.