41 Days of School Choice: Day 16 – Oklahoma Invests in its Students’ Futures
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Washington D.C. (August 25, 2014) – The American Federation for Children, the nation’s voice for educational choice, began the fourth week of #41Days of School Choice by spotlighting Oklahoma’s Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship Tax Credit program. The program remains very popular, especially among Republican and conservative voters according to a recent poll. A majority of those polled would like to see this tax credit program expanded so that more students could receive scholarships to attend the private school of their parents’ choice.
“Oklahoma’s Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship program is changing the lives of students for the better,” said Kevin P. Chavous, executive counsel for American Federation for Children. “These students are receiving the quality education they deserve and we are optimistic that educational choice will continue to expand to serve even more students across the state.”
Oklahoma offers a means-tested scholarship tax credit to individuals and corporations. The program received a substantial expansion this year, when the state cap on the program was raised to $5 million, up from the $3.5 million cap in place since the program was first enacted in 2011. In addition, S corporations are now allowed to make donations and receive tax credits under the program. Finally, the tax credit value has been raised from 50 percent of the contribution to 75 percent for those donors who commit to donating the same amount for three consecutive years.
Program Facts:
- Students must attend or be eligible to attend a public school identified for school improvement pursuant to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 during the preceding school year
- Participating students and their siblings remain eligible until graduation
- Scholarship is the greater of $5,000 or 80 percent of average per-pupil expenditure in the student’s school district
Throughout the 41 Days of School Choice campaign, the American Federation for Children will be promoting programs using the hashtag “#41Days”
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The American Federation for Children is the nation’s leading school choice advocacy organization and works in states across the country to help secure additional, high-quality educational options for families.