The state of Kansas has a program not many know about to help low-income students in low-performing schools have a choice when it comes to education.
It's called the Tax Credit for Low Income Students Scholarship Program, and it has been an option since January 2015.
The legislature implemented this program, which gives qualifying businesses the chance to donate money to provide scholarships for those wanting alternatives to public school. In exchange, the business gets a 70 percent tax credit on state tax liabilities.
For parents and students
To be eligible, a student must meet three requirements:
- Live in Kansas
- Attend a Title 1 Focus or Priority school (or be eligible to enroll in one if under the age of 6 or a freshman entering high school)
- Qualify for the government's free lunch program
Title 1 Priority is a school among the lowest 5 percent in the state based on how students perform in statewide assessments. This includes schools currently receiving School Improvement Grants (SIG), which are funds to implement a school intervention model.
Title 1 Focus schools have the largest performance gaps between high-achieving and low-achieving students and have shown a consistent lack of progress in proficiency.
Here's a map of the Kansas City area Focus and Priority schools. Most are in Kansas City, Kansas. The Focus and Priority schools are indicated in orange. The schools participating in the scholarship program are shown in blue. They are the schools where a student could move if approved under the program.
The first step is to have a conversation with the principal of the school in the program; they are aware of this program and can help with the process if their school is a good fit for your student.
Adrienne Runnebaum is the Director of Tax Credits for the Catholic Education Foundation, the largest Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) in the state and the only one operating from the Kansas City metro area.
"There is a formal application process for families to apply to this program," explained Runnebaum.
She said the participating schools are trained and aware of the program so the first step for any family is to start with a phone call to the participating school nearest you.
It's not always academic performance that leads parents to seek different options for their children.
"Families are seeking this option for a variety of reasons. Many times it is academic, but also socially, the environment of a Catholic school might be a better fit. And some are seeking faith-based education," said Runnebaum.
For potential donor businesses
The family side of the application is just one side of Runnebaum's job. The other side is dealing with donor businesses.
"Our organization has been around since 1997 with a soul mission for scholarships for low-income families who wish to send their kids to schools in our archdiocese. So we set up a separate piece of business to manage our participation as an SGO in this program. It's our responsibility as an SGO and my office to secure funding with eligible business donors. This program is only for businesses, not individuals," said Runnebaum.
According to Runnebaum, three types of businesses are eligible for the tax credit through this scholarship program:
- C Corporation
- Bank Savings and Loans that have privileged tax
- Insurance Companies that have a premium tax
The state has certified SGOs which manage securing the donations and awarding the scholarships. The state verifies student qualifications.
Here is a list of the SGOs currently certified to operate in the state of Kansas:
- Catholic Education Foundation - Kansas City, KS
- The Independent School - Wichita, KS
- Renewanation - Roanoke, VA
- Community First, Inc. - Topeka, KS
- Christian Faith Centre, Inc. - Wichita, KS
- Topeka Lutheran School Foundation, Inc. - Topeka, KS
Currently the cap on the amount which can be donated to the pool of SGOs for tax credits is $10 million.
CEF is currently funding 180 students with tax credit scholarships who are enrolled in 14 different schools in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas; they have a waitlist of kids hoping for scholarships through this program.
While religious education is not the focus of the legislation, right now most of the schools taking part are Catholic schools, mostly because of CEF's success in securing donations.
For more information on the state's tax credit program, click here.
Christa Dubill will be answering questions on Facebook from 10:15 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on the 41 Action News Facebook page about this story, this program, and what she's learned from the state.
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Christa Dubill can be reached at Christa.Dubill@kshb.com.
