The House voted Tuesday to nearly double the size of a state tax credit for individuals and businesses that donate money for private school scholarships.

The bill expands the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program by $100 million, from the current $110 million per year to $210 million. The bill passed 111-85, with every Republican and four Democrats voting yea.

House Speaker Mike Turzai, the legislation’s sponsor and an ally of school choice, said the bill was about recognizing that “when it comes to education, one size does not fit all.”

ACSIPA writes to express its full support for House Bill 800 and the expansion of the EITC Program. As a group made up of hundreds of Christian schools in PA, the vast majority participate in some way in the tax credit scholarship program and utilize these critically needed funds to provide education and services to low- and moderate-income families in the Commonwealth.

The annual EITC Rally is coming up next month. Each year REACH Foundation hosts this rally celebrating the inception of Pennsylvania's EITC Program. The event is widely attended by children, parents, educators and legislators from all over the Commonwealth, and serves as a fantastic opportunity to show the program's success and promote its growth.

The Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) announces its support for the Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act, a signature legislative proposal to advance parental choice in education through a federal tax credit program.

The legislation is a reasonable approach which is carefully drawn to respect the requirements of federalism and the autonomy of independent education providers such as Christian schools.

The EITC program has been actively engaged in supporting private education since 2001.

This program provides the needed scholarship monies to support low-income families, allowing them to have access to high performing private schools.

Please take a moment to view the following testimonials about how EITC is working for Christian Schools around the commonwealth of Pennsylvania:

Click here to see the ACSIPA Newsletter for January.

http://www.champion.org/acsipa/sites/all/newsemail/2019/1-23-19.html?ut…

We’re thrilled that you’re looking for ways to amplify and enhance your event’s impact through digital efforts. You’ll find a variety of ideas and pieces of content for your use in the link below.

https://bit.ly/2suQFFe

Our team is constantly adding to these resources as the Week approaches, so please stay tuned for additional options.

PACAPE recognizes the value of effective teaching and leadership that promotes proficiency in student learning and influences the school with positive culture.

Nominations are open now!

More information is found in the attached flyer.

We are in the last days of submissions for the PACAPE Teacher and Administrator awards.

Submit quality nominees now at: www.surveymonkey.com/r/pacapeteacheraward

The staff of the Office of Corporation released the following position statement in regards to EITC and Special Purpose Entities (SPE). SPE's exemption from registration requirements include several criteria including:

-SPE is registered under Pennsylvania law;
-SPE was created for the sole purpose of making contributions to educational institutions;
-That 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the units is used as a donation

Please read the attached for more information.

Federal Commission on School Safety Releases Comprehensive Resource Guide for Keeping Students, Teachers Safe at School

After months of research, visiting successful programs around the nation, and receiving testimony from experts and concerned citizens, today the Federal Commission on School Safety (Commission) released a 177-page report detailing 93 best practices and policy recommendations for improving safety at schools across the country.