Rep. Tim O’Neal: Breaking the zip code barrier and putting students first

Education in Pennsylvania is at a crossroads.

Closures during the pandemic set students back years.

And a landmark Commonwealth Court decision in 2023 declared the way the state funds education to be unconstitutional. 

Yet, amid these massive challenges, state lawmakers have been at a policy standstill, unable to agree on solutions.

Is anyone shocked that Harrisburg is slow to react and resistant to change? Not me.

The truth is Pennsylvania is spending more money per student than it ever has, ranking seventh in the nation as of 2023. That spend number has reached over $23,000 per kid in 2024.

Yet somehow, despite record education spending, students continue to struggle. According to the 2024 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA), only 30 percent of eighth graders perform math and reading at grade level.

This is unacceptable.

It is time for Gov. Josh Shapiro to help actually put students first.

During his run for office, Shapiro touted school choice as a commonsense alternative for struggling students in low-performing schools. 

However, when the Legislature put a bill that would have provided scholarships for these students on his desk, it was met with a veto.

The good news is that Gov. Shapiro can still make this right.

This budget season, House Republicans are once again leading the effort to make school choice a priority. 

The bottom line is that a student’s ZIP code should not determine whether they receive a good education.  We must find better ways to allocate education dollars to ensure they have the greatest impact and reach students who stand to benefit most. 

And while Gov. Shapiro’s veto may have killed the PASS/Lifeline Scholarship proposal, there are new ideas.

Rep. Martina White (Philadelphia) has proposed the “Learning Investment Tax Credit” (LITC) with House Bill 1662. The LITC would create an $8,000-per-child refundable tax credit to offset education expenses if parents choose a nonpublic school.

This means tax credits or refunds to parents for expenses like tuition and fees at nonpublic schools, textbooks, fees for after-school programs, tutoring, or education services for students with disabilities. 

The need for this program is real. 

According to the Commonwealth Foundation, 49 percent of Pennsylvania families report that if money was no issue, they would prefer a private school or homeschooling for their child, yet only fifteen percent attend nonpublic schools. Additionally, over 80,000 students are currently on a waiting list for Pennsylvania’s already existing tax scholarship programs.

The LITC would give families with children in these schools financial freedom to pursue a better education. Families shouldn’t have to choose between paying their mortgage and having quality education options for their children.

The best part? This can be done without taking one cent away from our public schools.

We can make transformational changes for thousands of students right now, but we must have the courage to stand up to the special interests in Harrisburg and put our children first.

Rep. Tim O’Neal represents the 48th Legislative District in Washington County and serves as the Republican Whip.