THIS REPORT COMMISSIONED BY THE HISPANIC COUNCIL FOR REFORM AND EDUCATION OPTIONS (HCREO) CREATED BY REPUBLIC MEDIA CUSTOM PUBLISHING
S U N D A Y, J U N E 3 , 2 0 1 2
GRADING ARIZONA’S SCHOLARSHIP ORGANIZATIONS PRIVATE SCHOOL TUITION ORGANIZATIONS CAN CHANGE LIVES, CREATE OPPORTUNITIES
BY MICHAEL FERRARESI
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very child deserves the best education possible, clear and simple. For many Arizona youths, an education at a public school ranked among the worst in the U.S. is the only option. Private school tuition, especially for multiple children, is often out of the question for a family struggling to pay the mortgage or cope with medical bills. Enter Arizona's School Tuition Organization tax credit programs. The first program was introduced nearly 15 years ago as a way to provide deserving low and middle income families with a chance to send their children to private schools. Since then, two more scholarship programs have been created with one focused on special needs students. Using the state tax credit, charitable scholarship organization's known as STOs, turn donations from individuals and businesses into scholarships for students. Each STO judges a student's merit and need in awarding scholarships. But "need" is subjective. Many STOs target students from poor or working class families, while others provide a majority of their scholarship money to students whose parents earn more than $75,000 annually. Advocates say those lower-income children should have an equal right to a quality education, yet, even after recent changes to provide more accountability, some school tuition organizations favor students from financially stable families. The school tuition tax credit program can make a huge difference when scholarships are granted as it was originally intended. Julio Fuentes, president and chief executive officer of the Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options, understands this better than most. His national organization works to educate families about the program. "This is a program that should focus on low income children," Fuentes said. "I'm in a position where I do have that choice for my kids. But that's not the same for many families in a poor or working class
WHAT ARE SCHOOL TUITION ORGANIZATIONS?
An STO is a charity that provides scholarships for students to attend private schools in Arizona. Individuals and businesses that donate to an STO charity get a tax credit that reduces their taxes by an amount equal to 100 percent of their donation. The scholarships help families afford private schools and provide a savings to taxpayers. Arizona law requires that the STOs use at least 90 percent of their annual donations to provide scholarships. STO Board members evaluate student applications and grant scholarships based upon merit and need. Each STO judges that merit or need uniquely. If you’re interested in learning more about STOs, call 602-320-9491 or visit www.hcreo.com. neighborhood down the road. They have no choice." Two years ago, the Arizona Legislature enacted measures to make the tuition tax credit laws stricter, forcing STOs to publicly report a breakdown of scholarships by family income. Advocates believe more financially challenged families will benefit from this
public disclosure, since those students deserve the same right to choose as students whose parents can pay their tuition comfortably, without help from an STO. Students like Jorge Solis. Olga Solis said she could never afford to keep her son, Jorge, 18, enrolled in a private school without the help of Arizona School Choice Trust. The STO provides Jorge, a senior at Glendale Christian Academy, and his two younger siblings, with more than $1800 apiece for annual scholarships. Jorge has received annual STO scholarships for 10 JORGE SOLIS years, allowing him to BY RICK D'ELIA continue to excel in private schools and work toward attending Arizona State University this fall. Solis's husband Jorge Sr., works as a landscaper and earns about $25,000 annually. Without the help from an STO, Jorge would have to fight harder for the same classroom and extracurricular attention that he receives freely at Glendale Christian. "The smaller class sizes allow him to unfold his dreams, where he doesn't feel so intimidated or scared by such large numbers of students," Solis said.
THIS SPECIAL REPORT GRADES SCHOOL TUITION ORGANIZATIONS ON HOW WELL THEY ARE SERVING ARIZONA’S FAMILIES