Comment from Connecticut Education Association

CEA believes that tax credit scholarship programs are structured to serve as de facto school voucher programs. We discuss below why such programs run contrary to our country’s commitment to public education as carried out through the sovereignty of each of our states. We provide recommendations for rule-making to ensure that such sovereignty is respected and preserved and to ensure that the law can be carried out in a way to minimize its potential damage to public schools and the public trust. Experience in states that have adopted these programs demonstrates persistent shortcomings in transparency and accountability, including limited public oversight of funds that are public in nature and inadequate reporting on student outcomes and fiscal impacts. These programs also divert critical resources away from public education systems that serve the vast majority of students, weakening the ability of states and local communities to meet their constitutional obligations, especially for students with the greatest needs. Any regulations or guidance issued pursuant to Section 25F must respect and preserve states’ longstanding authority to determine how education is funded, governed, and delivered, consistent with their constitutions, laws, and policy priorities. We urge the Department not to use federal tax policy to preempt, pressure, or circumvent state decision-making, nor to advance education privatization in ways that conflict with what states have determined works best for their students and communities. We respectfully submit these comments for your consideration.