Sometimes it takes a giant telegram to deliver a giant message — that educational tax credits are critical to the future of Catholic schools.
Some two dozen students and supporters of the REACH (Road to Educational Achievement Through Choice) Foundation traveled to the state Capitol in Harrisburg May 10 for the annual Educational Improvement Tax Credit birthday party. EITC allows more than 50,000 students a year to choose the school that best fits their needs.
“This is our lifeline,” said Don Militzer, principal of Madonna Catholic Regional School in Monongahela. “Our parents make such sacrifices to send (their children) to a Catholic school. It’s up to us to make every effort to ease the burden a little bit.”
The supporters delivered some 40 “colossal grams” to the offices of Gov. Tom Wolf and various senators and representatives. Attached to each telegram were the signatures of more than 1,500 students and staff.
They were the brainchild of Deacon Jack Miller, diocesan director of development and public policy. Among his responsibilities is obtaining tax credit-related funding.
Deacon Miller said he has been inspired by those who support tax credits and by those who traveled to Harrisburg. When people talk about the future of the church, he noted, Catholic education is a big part of it. Not just schools, but religious education programs and other forms of instruction.
“If we don’t support it, it’s not going to be here,” he said. “And these people went out and they’re promoting it and supporting it. God bless them.”
The EITC and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit programs receive contributions from eligible companies that do business in Pennsylvania and pay certain state taxes. Company money earmarked for state taxes goes to provide tuition assistance grants to eligible students.
Among those on the trip were John Kido of St. Bernadette Parish in Monroeville. He knows the value of a Catholic education and he volunteers in the lunchroom, selling cookies and milk, and cleaning tables. He is also a member of the school advisory board at St. Bernadette. Among the board’s projects is getting businesses to contribute to the EITC.
“If you want the politicians to do something for you, you have to let them know you care,” he said. “And that only happens if you show up and speak to them.”
It involves more than just one visit, Kido added. It takes multiple visits, conversations and letters, but those actions have an impact.
Naomi Wells, a parent from Northside Catholic School, noted the importance of having the representatives see the resolve of people regarding the issue. “I’d like to see more people doing it, more representatives for the schools,” she said.
The birthday party was held outside on the steps of the Capitol building. Catholic schools aren’t alone in their support of the EITC and OSTC programs. The rally included representatives of other Christian institutions, as well as Jewish institutions such as Hillel Academy in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood.
The speakers at the rally included Otto Banks, executive director of REACH, as well as state representatives who are supporters of the program. Among them was Speaker of the House Mike Turzai, a representative of the 28th District in Allegheny County. Turzai was honored with the Paul M. Henkels Award, which celebrates those who work to expand educational options in Pennsylvania.
The Pittsburgh supporters had earlier visited his office and delivered a telegram. During the visit, he spoke of what his more than 20 years of Catholic education has meant to him. He is a graduate of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School in Moon Township and the University of Notre Dame. His children all have Catholic school backgrounds.
Blake Bonidie, a third-grade student at North American Martyrs School in Monroeville/Pitcairn, was among the students who visited Turzai’s office. He said it was a “cool” experience to meet the House speaker, adding, “It was very inspiring to me.”
Joining him on the visit was his mother, Sandy, PTG president at the school. She spoke of how tax credit support helped her keep her son in school after she lost her job last year. It was a “big deal,” she noted, for the supporters to meet the representatives.
“It’s a great experience for the kids,” she said. “It’s a great experience for parents to understand and see what happens, and be part of it.”
Lenore Randall has attended at least a half-dozen of the birthday celebrations. Her daughter is a seventh-grader at St. Rosalia Academy in Pittsburgh’s Greenfield neighborhood. Her one son attends Central Catholic High School, and another is a graduate of the school. She spoke of how important the EITC has been in helping her get her children through school.
“They get to see faces,” she said of meeting the legislators. “They get to see where their money is going. And they get to hear from us how much we appreciate it.”
Lisa Gandy made the trip with her daughter, T’ana, 13, a student at St. Rosalia. A single mother, she said the EITC has allowed her to send her two children to Catholic schools.
“I value their education because education is the foundation for the rest of their lives,” she said, adding that it was an “interesting” experience to be able to deliver telegrams to the representatives.
Mark Grgurich, principal of Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy in Aspinwall, said that tax credits dedicated to his school go a long way to easing the financial burden on parents.
“It’s important for the legislators to see the students and the job that they’re doing,” he said. “And to see the parents that are supporting Catholic education.”
In pointing out that he has a high percentage of students who are receiving assistance, Robert Munz, principal of St. Raphael School in Pittsburgh’s Morningside neighborhood, noted that the presence of the young people allowed the representatives to see firsthand how legislation affects their lives.
“This is important to us because we would need this in order to survive,” he said. “Our enrollment would probably be a lot less than what it is now without these tax credits.”
He recognized the efforts of Dr. Ronald Bowes, a former diocesan official who was an instrumental figure in the development of the REACH program. Bowes is still a member of the board of directors for the foundation and attended the celebration.
Munz also noted the “passion” of Deacon Miller in drumming up support for the rally at a recent principal’s meeting, adding, “I said I need to be there for this.”
Dr. Edward Scheid, on the staff of the diocesan Secretariat for Parish Services, has gone to Harrisburg annually for some 15 years. He pointed to the importance of expanding tax credit initiatives as much as possible to support children, the schools and especially the parents.
Parents have the unfair burden, he noted, of having to pay property taxes to support public education that they don’t utilize. They are “a bargain” for the state.
“God bless them,” he said. “Thank them so much for their support. We need to expand the program as much as we can to make it more fair, more equitable, for all the children of the state of Pennsylvania.”
The rally on the steps drew an enthusiastic response. Scheid was among the more vocal members of the audience, following along with the chants from the podium. He said he enjoys the interaction and the opportunity to visit the representatives. He thought the large telegrams were a hit.
“We left something behind,” he said of them. “We left a big message that this is important. 1,500 kids signed the message. It’s a good program.”
Created for K-12 in 2001, the EITC program was at first capped at $30 million. With the passage of HB 1606 in 2016, it increased by $25 million, with a total of $175 million.
The OSTC program allows businesses to provide funding to students who reside within the boundaries of a “low-achieving school,” a public elementary or secondary school that ranks in the bottom 15 percent based on combined math and reading scores on the most recent PSSA results.
The REACH Foundation and its sister organization, the REACH Alliance, were founded in 1991 to address school choice legislation. In addition to promoting vouchers, it advocates and educates the public on tuition tax credits, charter schools and home schooling.
More information on EITC and OSTC is available by calling Deacon Miller at 412-456-3000, ext. 3262. Information on the REACH Foundation can be found by visiting www.paschoolchoice.org.