This Thursday, January 12, the New Hampshire House Ways and Means Committee will be holding a hearing on HB 1607, a tuition tax credit bill. The legislation would grant tax credits to businesses donating to scholarship organizations for private and religious schools. These kinds of bills create a “backdoor” voucher program. Though proponents maintain that tax-credit schemes do not involve public money, there is no meaningful difference between tax credits and direct government reimbursement of private and religious schools. This bill is clearly bad for students, parents, and taxpayers.

We’ve said it time and time again, but tax credits and vouchers are not school reform. Rather than improving education, they divert taxpayer funds away from public schools and do not even improve academic achievement for the small number of students who supposedly “benefit” from the money. According to multiple studies of school voucher programs in D.C., Milwaukee, and Cleveland, students offered vouchers perform no better in reading and math than students in public schools.

Backdoor voucher schemes also pose a threat to religious liberty. Many schools accepting vouchers are sectarian, and integrate religion throughout their curriculum. Backdoor vouchers are unrestricted in their use and pay for all aspects of a religious education, including worship, proselytization, and religious items such as Bibles. Additionally, despite receiving public money, participating schools are not subject to all federal civil rights laws and accountability standards. HB 1607 even contains the provision that all schools shall “comply with state and federal antidiscrimination laws,” but this is misleading. These laws contain exemptions for religious organizations, which include religious private schools, so the loopholes still exist. Students therefore lose the protections of Title IX, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Unfortunately, many parents and students are not even aware that they will lose rights and protections when they accept a voucher. Private and religious schools also retain the right to deny admission to any student it chooses, including on the basis of religion or gender.

Finally, claims that funding private school vouchers will save taxpayer money are patently false. Rather, tax money that would ordinarily go to public schools is diverted to private and religious schools. Public schools then lose funding without being able to cut overall operating costs. The fiscal impact analysis included in the bill text shows the decrease in revenue and increase in expenditures New Hampshire would face as a result of this bill. In these difficult economic times, such legislation is extremely irresponsible.

After this week’s House hearing, the New Hampshire Senate Education Committee will also be holding a hearing January 24^th. AU members in New Hampshire: watch your email inboxes next week for more information on contacting the committee in opposition to HB 1607/S 372.