Tuition tax credits would hurt schools, deplete state funds

In a recent "My View" titled "Tuition tax credits are the right thing to do for kids," Jordan Clements criticized Ralph Haws, past president of the Jordan School District Board of Education, for his reservations regarding the Governor's Employer Education Coalition's recent endorsement of tuition tax credits. Clements ended his letter by saying, "In the tax credit debate, let's put children first." And in doing so, he intimated that Haws was not putting children first. In fact, the opposite is true.

As presidents of local school boards and as chairmen of the State Board of Education, we are entrusted to provide a high-quality education for all students.

By identifying potentially negative impacts related to a proposed tuition tax credit bill (SB34),Haws serves the public by raising critical concerns that must be addressed to prevent passage of legislation that has the potential to accommodate the self-interest of a few at the expense of the many.

For Haws not to share his concerns would be to reject his responsibilities to the children, patrons and community he serves.

In his article, Clements cites three reasons why the Employers Education Coalition has endorsed tuition tax credits:

1. Tuition tax credits can play a positive financial role in the state's effort to educate the public school-age children who will start school during the next decade.

2. Tuition tax credits can help to improve the quality of both public and private education.

3. Tuition tax credits can give parents the choice to select education that meets their child's individual needs.

Based upon a review of the most recent research, local school boards and the State Board of Education, which share responsibility for providing quality public school education for the state's 479,000 public school children, disagree with the Employers Education Coalition's conclusions. Tuition tax credits are an example of bad public policy, and their promotion calls into question promoters' commitment to educate all children.

In short, 97 percent of the children in Utah will be negatively affected by the efforts to use public funds to help 3 percent of the students who want a private and/or religious education.