HARRISBURG – Without taking a single dollar away from public schools across the Commonwealth, Rep. Mike Vereb (R-Montgomery) today joined the majority of his colleagues in the General Assembly as he voted in favor legislation to provide more education options to thousands of children and their families.

“The Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) is a decade-old program with bipartisan support that allows businesses to partner with public and private schools and other educational institutions to provide options to students and families,” said Vereb. “I especially favor this legislation because it includes a new program, EITC 2.0, which is targeted at students in neighborhoods with continually underperforming public schools by providing tax credit donations to help offset these students’ tuition costs to attend schools of their choice.”

House Bill 761, which included several other tax reform measures, would increase available tax credits for businesses that contribute to Educational Scholarship Organizations, Educational Improvement Organizations or pre-K scholarship organizations from the current $75 million to $100 million. 

Measures in this legislation would also increase the maximum household income limits for students involved in the program from $60,000 to $75,000, starting on July 1, 2013, and incrementally with the rate of inflation thereafter. 

The EITC 2.0, would also make an additional $50 million in opportunity scholarships available to children who live within the attendance areas of the lowest-achieving 15 percent of public schools.

“The bottom line is that the EITC program has proven to be effective at allowing children to excel academically. Now is the time to put all children across Pennsylvania on a level playing field and provide them with the highest quality of education,” said Vereb. “Students living in under-performing school districts can now enjoy this summer, knowing that come September, they will have the opportunity to attend a school of their choice and earn a valuable education.”