School Choice Week Ends, But Advocates’ Work Doesn’t

Some proponents of choice would like to see Georgia’s options expand further.

For one, they’d like lawmakers to raise the $58 million cap on the state’s tax credit scholarship program. The plan gives a dollar-for-dollar tax credit to individuals and companies that donate to a Student Scholarship Organization (SSO). The scholarships are used to send students who would go to public schools to private schools instead.

Gloria Adi is a teacher and assistant principal at Lithonia Adventist Academy, a private school. She says expanding the SSO program would give parents more options.

“Some of our students are receiving scholarships, [but] there are more who would like to participate but are not able to,” Adi said. “So, if legislators could work on a voucher system, that would give parents some funding so they could choose the school of their choice.”

Critics of the plan say public tax money shouldn’t pay for private school tuition.

“We think tax dollars ought to go to public education,” said Craig Harper, communications director for the Professional Association of Georgia Educators in a recent interview. “Our concern is that SSOs aren’t means tested, and there’s not as much transparency as there probably needs to be.”

Some choice advocates also support creating Education Savings Accounts. Those plans would let parents use state funds allotted for their children, if they enroll in public school, to pay for private educational services like tuition or private tutoring.

For students like Matthew Dormus, an eighth-grader at Lithonia Adventist Academy, school choice means being able to attend a school that’s right for him.

“I believe school choice is just about having the opportunity to pick the school where you want to go, and I wanted to go to Lithonia Adventist Academy, so I’m thankful for that opportunity,” he said.