Rep. Scharnhorst discusses Bryce's Law

Missouri Education: In need of reform

The need for autism education reform in Missouri (Part 2)

The need for autism education reform in Missouri

School Reform News focuses on Missouri's tax credit proposal

Missouri Parents Lobby Hard for Tax Credit Plan

Written By: Ben DeGrow
Published In: School Reform News
Publication Date: April 1, 2008
Publisher: The Heartland Institute

After falling short in previous legislative attempts to enact private tuition tax credits in Missouri, reformers are cautiously optimistic about the prospects of a proposal for a program targeted to special-needs students.

Under Senate Bill 993, financial contributions made to organizations that provide private scholarships to students with defined physical or mental impairments would reduce an individual's state tax liability by 80 percent on contributions up to $1 million.

To be eligible under the proposal, scholarship organizations would have to demonstrate financial accountability and guarantee students can carry the scholarship between different programs. Qualifying schools would have to meet basic safety and health standards, could not discriminate on the basis of race or religion, and would have to provide regular reports to parents on student progress.

Cautious Optimism

Dave Roland, policy analyst for the Show-Me Institute, a think tank in St. Louis, said the state's last four or five legislative sessions saw unsuccessful tuition tax credit proposals targeted at poor students in large, urban districts. He believes SB 993 has a better chance to pass but says school choice champion Gov. Matt Blunt's (R) late January announcement not to seek reelection and other factors might complicate the process.

"It's hard to tell what will happen," Roland said. "I'd like to think there's enough momentum to push it through, but past experience says caution is advised."

State Sen. Jason Crowell (R-Cape Girardeau), who is sponsoring SB 993, expressed more confidence.

"I believe that focusing on special-needs children is an important duty of legislators," Crowell said. "I believe [the bill] will be supported by a majority of legislators."

Compelling Testimony

On February 13, more than 150 people, including many parents of special-needs children, showed up to testify before a Missouri Senate committee in favor of SB 993.

"I hope that because of hearings like this, more people will begin to take notice of what's happening to the children falling through the cracks of the school system," said Shari Kaminsky, a mother of two autistic children from Kirkwood who testified before the committee.

Kaminsky's older son has done well in the special public school district, a government entity organized to deliver educational services to special-needs students. But she removed her younger son when she observed the system was not serving his needs. Since enrolling him last autumn at the private program Giant Steps, she has witnessed marked progress in his verbal and social skills.

But the Kirkwood mother said Giant Steps faces declining enrollment as special school districts have stopped establishing new contracts with private providers.

"Unless there is some degree of choice here, it means there will be no Giant Steps," Kaminsky said. "I should be able to convince the school system that my son should be able to be here, but they're not going to do it on their own."

Crowell characterized much of the testimony as "very heartbreaking and very emotional," citing stories of relocations and broken marriages that resulted from parents' sacrifices made to educate their special-needs children.

On February 20, the committee approved SB 993 and sent it to the full Senate for consideration.

Equal Opportunity

Crowell says his bill's primary purpose is to equalize opportunities for families, regardless of their income.

"The main goal is to put those special-needs children born to middle-class and poorer families on a level playing field with those born to wealthy parents, to give them the same access to a world-class education," Crowell said.

Kaminsky said the $32,000-a-year tuition price tag for Giant Steps eventually may be too much for her family, and the tax credit proposal is needed for some parents, especially in rural Missouri, to access effective private programs in the first place.

Projecting Savings

The bill's sponsor also wants school officials to recognize the potential cost savings in SB 993.

"My hope is that the public education establishment will look at it and see that special-needs children are breaking the bank for many school districts," Crowell said. "If we can get more money put behind their pursuits so that parents can choose a public, private, or parochial school, [we'll] be putting additional dollars into education."

A January 2008 report from the Show-Me Institute found significant cost savings in Missouri's previous tax credit proposals. But Roland pointed out the absence of a cap on either the number of participating students or the scholarship amount would make forecasting the savings from SB 993 nearly impossible.

Ben DeGrow (ben@i2i.org) is a policy analyst for the Independence Institute, a free-market think tank in Golden, Colorado.

I do so like green eggs and ham!

Chuck Muth has offered some interesting comparisons about why more choice in education makes sense.

“Have you ever noticed an intersection where there’s a McDonalds on one corner and a Burger King on another? Or an Exxon station located directly across the street from a Chevron station? Or a Holiday Inn a block up the street from a Hampton Inn? Do you ever wonder why that is? I mean, why don’t these businesses just operate like our government schools: only one per neighborhood?

Because competition works. It improves service. It lowers prices for consumers. And it winnows out bad operators. Public schools, on the other hand, don’t like competition. In fact, they’re scared to death of it. Ever wonder why that is?

I mean, if the public schools are as wonderful as education bureaucrats and union officials say they are, why fear competition and giving parents the same choices in education as they have for, say, health care? The government doesn’t pick your child’s doctor; why should it pick your child’s teacher?

Recognizing that school choice is gaining more and more public support, some school districts are experimenting with what they consider to be parental options. For example, the Clark County school district [Nevada] is currently testing an “open enrollment” pilot program which allows the parents of kids in public schools in the county’s worst region to transfer their kids to any school of their choice – as long as it’s another public school.

Some choice, huh? “Yes, Mr. Jones, you may have any color you want for your new car – as long as it’s black.”

Lo and behold, only 45 students have applied to transfer out of one public school and into a different public school in a far-away neighborhood. Go figure. The excuse for the low response rate given by school district bureaucrats is the lack of “free” taxpayer-funded transportation available to bus kids from the neighborhood public school they’d like to flee to the new school. This excuse, by definition, means we have poor kids trapped in underperforming schools from which there is currently no escape.

The education establishment’s “solution” to this “problem,” of course, will be to take more of the taxpayers’ money to provide “free” transportation. But that won’t fix the problem. What parent wants to bus their kid all the way over to the other side of town?

The real solution, of course, is to have a competitive private elementary school in the same neighborhood as the existing public elementary school. Then and only then will parents have real school choice. But that brings up the real problem: cost.

How can private schools compete with “free” schools? They can’t, of course. Except with parents who are well off financially. So the only way to encourage more people to open private schools in more neighborhoods so kids won’t have to be bussed all over God’s creation is to level the playing field. And that means reallocating the money we’re currently giving directly to the public schools and instead giving it directly to parents to use as they see fit.

If thousands of parents are suddenly waving, say, $5,000 tuition assistance checks in the air demanding a private school in their neighborhood, some private school will find a way to meet that demand. I mean, that’s just what the free market does. It sees a demand and fills it. And the ensuing competition will be good for the public school across the street. As Sharon Caplan, principal of the public Don E. Hayden Elementary School in North Las Vegas said last week, “Competition anywhere is a good thing.” Amen.

It’s time to give real competition and real choice in education a real chance.

Experiencing limitations should offer clues

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports on community leaders participating in simulated poverty and the frustrations even when days are only 15 minutes long. The Missouri Ozarks Community Action Agency prepares this exercise to give decision-makers and shapers the insight into what their communities offer for the least fortunate, and what it feels like to be part of the percentage that aren’t benefiting.

One participant looked for daycare vouchers for her child so she could go to school.

Understanding the roadblocks that families run into when they are trying to make ends meet is important as we try to make policies that help. Right now, Missouri is looking at passing Bryce’s Law: tuition tax credit scholarships for families of special needs children that would allow children to transfer to a school that will meet their specific needs—even if their parents can’t afford it. It’s no different from a day care voucher except that taxpayers wouldn’t pay for it: private donations would.

Many have criticized Bryce’s Law as parents seeking some sort of entitlement, which has raised my hackles. Giving parents the option to choose where their special needs child will be best served is their right, but currently that right is being filtered through a local IEP team. I believe that parents are qualified to have the final say about their child’s education. We place the responsibility of feeding them before school, getting them to and from school, and paying for all of the help they cannot find in public schools. The least we can do is give them access to a scholarship to offset costs and give them the flexibility to seek out an education that will really improve their child’s skills.

Some say that tax credits decrease general revenue, and with that funds for public education. The fact is that the program would be revenue neutral, akin to moving a savings account into another bank. It’s still being invested, but it’s been moved because the investor believes they’ll see a better return on their investment in the new bank. And it is that individual’s prerogative to choose the best account. You’ll notice we have many different types of investment options that offer choices to all kinds of needs, and that even the choice to switch banks comes after lots of research and comparison—how much more important is seeing a non-verbal child learn to speak, read, go to college and start their own savings account?

Furthermore, most of Missouri’s tax credits are not revenue-neutral, and no one is calling for their repeal because as much as we need funds for education, we also understand that redevelopment in struggling communities is right, and giving young mothers daycare so they can work or go to school is right, and helping small farmers stay in business is right. So, is providing assistance for families with disabled children right? Unequivocally YES.

A good man--and thorough! Clint Zweifel's hat in ring for Treasurer

So far, Rep. Clint Zweifel’s bid for Treasurer sounds like something I can get behind. He’s talking about studying the effects of policy, rather than just keeping the budget in check. I think that kind of initiative is much needed in the treasury—an oft-overlooked but very key office. It seems to me that Missouri has been in need of that kind of leadership as we consider the policies and programs that Missouri pays for and benefits from. If we have expenditures that aren’t seeing results, and our treasurer can mete these areas out, I see three main benefits: 1) We have more money in the budget for priorities that have been cut, like healthcare. 2) We can begin to work on ways to improve programs that aren’t financially viable to make them work for taxpayers and for beneficiaries. 3) Legislators will have an impetus to create laws that follow a close ratio of fiscal responsibility and maximum benefit.

One program that Rep. Zweifel will vote on in the legislature this year is Bryce’s Law, the scholarship tax credit program for special needs students to transfer to a private institution if their current public school isn’t meeting their needs.

Aside from the obvious social benefits, this makes budget sense as well. The program would set up an 80% tax credit for businesses or individuals who donate into a scholarship fund, and that money would go to IEP students (capped at 10% of all IEPs in Missouri) who aren’t benefiting from their local public school. While critics might argue that a tax credit decreases the amount of revenue collected (as a reason not to pass this bill), there are other ways in which the state saves.

First of all, taxpayers are no longer paying for a child who isn’t achieving, and the school district is relieved of the responsibility of trying to accommodate a child who is developmentally outside their capabilities. Moreover, most scholarships of this nature are far less than what the state pays per pupil, especially for students with an IEP—so what the state doesn’t collect in revenue from the tax credit is substantially less than what it saves, and states like Florida, Arizona and Ohio have seen substantial savings. Those savings can go back into public education.

The cost of caring for severe developmental disabilities and autism over a lifetime can run into the millions. With early intervention, however, many students are able to get back into mainstream education or learn to hold jobs and support themselves—and there is literally no price for that.

Want to know your legislators' views? Give 'em a call!

Readers may have noticed that we’re profiling the education views of Missouri’s legislators. As I’ve been researching the subject, however, there is a decided lack of information on a lot of ‘em. Some have websites that lay out their views and key issues, but others barely have an online presence; some not at all. This brings up the “what did we do before the internet?” query. Well, we had town hall meetings as a necessity, not as a kitschy way to reconnect with voters right before election time. But on a state-wide level, it’s hard to get a handle even now on what ideologies our representatives espouse.

We’re talking lately about special needs legislation (HB 1886 and SB 993) that could have a tremendous impact on families of special needs children: allowing them to transfer to a private school that can meet their specific needs better than their local public school. I think for many parents out there, this is mission critical. Private schools can be costly, and many cannot find the right match for their child in the neighborhood school. With many developmental disabilities, lost time trying to get the right services is a loss of potential or even a regression of symptoms.

With critics and misinformation clouding the real virtues of these bills, the best way to make an impact is to call your legislator to ask them where they stand and ask them to vote yes for your child, or you neighbor or your niece or grandchild.

Find your legislator HERE. If you don’t know your 4-digit zip code extension, remember to click the button above the form that reads “Go to USPS Zip Lookup”. A personal phone call is more important than all the blogs in the world, because blogs don’t vote. Let your Representatives and Senators know what you think.

Stand up

I am unsure why there is still debate in the media surrounding Missouri’s House Bill 1886. It is one of the more philanthropic pieces of legislation to be introduced in the House in some time. Simply put, it allows for a scholarship fund to help children diagnosed with special needs, such as kids with Asperger’s or Autism, go to schools that are more adequately suited for their needs.

Many of these children don’t get the services they require in their current schools, and their families are unable to afford more adept schooling. House Bill 1886 would create a scholarship program to which private citizens could donate, receiving a tax credit in return for their good will. The money would be administered by the state and distributed by scholarship granting organizations.

I hope to see Representative Paul LeVota coming down in fovor of this bill; I know he has made education on of his top priorities.

These are vulnerable children and families that need the help of every legislator.

Trent Skaggs: Represent

One may wonder who Trent Skaggs represents. One answer could be his legislative district 31 and all the constituents inside it. Another answer could be North Kansas City schools. Another answer we’d have to give is the Missouri National Education Association—because he’s voted with their views an impressive 100% of the time, according to Project Vote Smart. And that’s somewhat troubling, given that their mission is to shape the future of public education (and to that I’d add whether you like it or not!). It’s even more troubling because the MNEA often comes out against legislation that would improve education for students in Missouri (but doesn’t boost public schools). They’ve come out against HB 1886 which would give parents an option for choose a more appropriate public school for their special needs child if they are unhappy with the progress made (or not made) at a public school. Many parents already have this choice, because they can afford private institutions. But if a parent has a child with special needs, I firmly believe they should have a right to choose the same—regardless of their income or where they live. The MNEA has mis-characterized this bill in many ways, and it would be shameful if Rep. Skaggs chose not to break his record with them at the expense of better education for special needs students. Ask Rep. Skaggs (573-751-2199) if he believes it’s our commitment as Missourians to educate children only by way of the public schools, or is it our commitment to educate students well by any means possible?

Will Rep. Joan Bray extend help to Missouri's special needs children?

From Senator Joan Bray’s website—if you’re in Ladue, Clayton, Brentwood and many other areas of St. Louis County, Bray is your representative in the Missouri House:

Sen. Joan Bray (D-St. Louis) realizes the vital role higher education plays in the future of Missouri. “If we want to have Missourians who can participate in the cultural and civic life with knowledge and thoughtfulness; if we want Missourians to enjoy their leisure time to maximum benefit; if we want Missourians to be able to participate in the workforce at a high level, we must invest more money more thoughtfully in higher education,” Bray said.

Unfortunately, this sentiment doesn’t hold true for the thousands of special needs children who would be helped by House Bill 1886, which Bray is not supporting.

The estimated number of IEP students in Missouri is 130,000. With the 10% cap imposed by this scholarship tax credit, 13,000 students across Missouri whose public school doesn’t offer the type of services they need can find a private institution that does, or choose another public school with different options without having to move into another district. The benefit would be monumental.

What’s more, HB 1886 meets that need Joan Bray is talking about. Many students with learning disabilities only need a short period of individualized, focused help and are then able to do quite well in a mainstream education—sometimes without an IEP. These are Missourians. They are future doctors, teachers, future grad students and future lawmakers—and we have to support first the ability for students to reach those heights. Ask Rep. Joan Bray to represent Missouri’s special needs children with her vote for HB 1886—just give her a call (573) 751-2514 or email jbray@senate.mo.gov.