On Wednesday the Missouri Senate’s Committee on Education and Workforce Development heard bills meant to ease the financial burden on families who choose to pursue non-public education for their children. SB727 and SB729, authored by Senator Andrew Koenig (R-St. Louis), look to use tax breaks to encourage private funding for non-public school scholarship endowments. The bills, which received testimony by Missouri Secretary of Treasury Vivek Malek, would expand the funding for a scholarship program which has allowed over 400 students to switch from public school to private school within this past school year. Though opponents of the bills express concerns over whether citizens should receive tax breaks for sending their children to religious schools, proponents of the bills say giving families added flexibility in school choice will lead to better education outcomes for Missouri Children.
