Members of Gov. Nathan Deal’s Education Reform Commission are recommending the establishment of another student scholarship organization program after the current one reached its $58 million cap in one day.
The program allows people to direct state tax dollars to private schools by donating money that they later recover through income tax credits.
The new program, unlike the existing one, would serve only children in households with relatively low income. The group suggested allowing participation only for those households that earn less than 300 percent, or even 250 percent, of the federal poverty level, according to a recommendation approved Friday by a subcommittee of the commission. There are no income limits in the current program.
The group also unanimously recommended that both programs provide clearer reporting on the income levels of families that benefit from the money. A dollar cap for the proposed program was not discussed.
The full commission will consider the recommendation to the governor on Thursday.
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