WASHINGTON, DC— Dr. Cade Brumley, state superintendent of education for the state of Louisiana, has become the first statewide public school superintendent to endorse the Education Choice for Children Act (ECCA) currently being considered in Congress.
“Parents should be empowered to choose the best school for their children, whether public or private. The Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA) is proposed federal legislation that would bolster parental rights and increase competition in education. Further, it creatively forms important tax relief for individuals and businesses to provide educational opportunities for students in need,” Dr. Brumley said in a statement.
Presently, Louisiana has two main statewide private school choice programs – one is a voucher for students from low-income families, and the other is a tax credit scholarship for students from low-income families. The ECCA would:
- Triple the income eligibility for private school choice in Louisiana to include working-class and middle-class families
- Nearly double the amount of scholarship assistance currently available to each student enrolled in Louisiana’s two existing private school choice programs
- Make private school choice available to hundreds of thousands more students in Louisiana
Anthony de Nicola, Chairman of the Invest in Education Coalition, applauded Dr. Brumley for his endorsement and for his principled leadership in providing more education choices for children.
“Now more than ever, empowering parents to ensure their children are getting the best education possible should be a top priority,” said de Nicola. “This scholarship tax credit will expand education freedom and opportunity for up to two million low- and middle-income students throughout the nation.”
The ECCA, which is sponsored by Louisiana’s Senator Bill Cassidy and co-sponsored by Louisiana Senator John Kennedy and Reps. Julia Letlow, Mike Johnson, Clay Higgins, and Garret Graves, would enable scholarships funded with private donations – not federal money – with donors receiving a federal tax credit. Students could use scholarships for tuition, tutoring to address learning loss, special needs services, or education technology. The legislation has more than 120 House co-sponsors and more than two dozen Senate co-sponsors.
