“This is the most important bill the Legislature will consider this year. The Senate’s strong support for the School Choice Scholarship Act shows how much support in building for this simple but powerful idea.”

(CONCORD) The Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy thanks the New Hampshire Senate for its overwhelming approval of the School Choice Scholarship Act. The Senate yesterday voted 17-7 in favor of the SB 372. Under the legislations, business who donote to scholarship organizations would be eligible for tax credits against the Business Profits Tax and Business Enterprise Tax. Means-tested scholarships would help low and middle-income families choose alternatives to their local public school. The New Hampshire House is voting on companion legislation today.

“This is the most important bill the Legislature will consider this year,” said Charlie Arlinghaus, President of the Josiah Bartlett Center. “The Senate’s strong support for the School Choice Scholarship Act shows how much support in buidling for this simple but powerful idea.”

Arlinghaus recently authored a study of the School Choice Scholarship Act showing that the bill would save New Hampshire taxpayers more than $.83 million over the next two budget cycles. Businesses would receive an 85% credit for their donations, and scholarships would average $2,500. But every student choosing an alternative to local public schools would save the state thousands of dollars.

“New Hampshire public schools are a great choice for many families, but they aren’t the right fit for every student,” Arlinghaus added. “The School Choice Scholarship Act is a constitutionally tested, financially prudent way to make real school choice affordable for more New Hampshire families.”

Read the complete Josiah Bartlett Center study here.