Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue Approves $50 Million School Choice Program

WASHINGTON (Map) - 10,000 Low-Income Kids Stand to Benefit

Momentum for School Choice Movement Growing

WASHINGTON, May 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue today signed a $50 million Corporate and Individual Scholarship Tax Credit program into law, providing hope to thousands of Peach State families who want to send their children to better schools.

The Alliance for School Choice -- the nation's largest nonprofit organization promoting school vouchers and scholarship tax credit programs -- hailed Governor Perdue's action.

The new law allows corporations to receive a 100 percent tax credit for donations -- up to 75 percent of their total state tax liability -- to organizations that grant scholarships to children who want to attend private schools. Individuals can also donate up to $1,000 per person (or $2,500 per married couple) to these organizations and receive a 100 percent tax credit for these contributions. Student scholarship organizations must spend at least 90 percent of donations on scholarships.

The intent of the legislation is to provide school choice to low-income families, whose children may be confined to failing schools. The Alliance estimates that, if the full $50 million is utilized, more than 10,000 children could benefit from the law.

"With his actions today, Governor Perdue has sealed his legacy as one of America's foremost 'education governors,'" said Lori Drummer, director of state projects for the Alliance. "Georgia is now a national leader in a school choice movement that is gaining momentum."

The Alliance for School Choice congratulated Representative David Casas, the House sponsor of the bill, and Senator Eric Johnson, who shepherded the bill through the Senate, for their leadership. According to Drummer, the Georgia Family Council was also instrumental in educating the public about the tax credit bill's benefits.

"Georgia will now join five other states -- Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island -- in offering scholarship tax credit programs," said Alliance President Charles Hokanson. "Georgia's program will be the second largest in the country, following Florida's $88 million program, and just ahead of Pennsylvania's, which is capped at $44.6 million. Including the new Georgia law, there are seven scholarship tax credit programs operating in the United States and 10 voucher programs."

Georgia's current school choice program -- the extremely popular Georgia Special Needs Scholarship -- is not impacted by this legislation.

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