Tuition bill expanded

• By MICHELLE MILLHOLLON AND JORDAN BLUM
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Mar 11, 2008 - Page: 1A - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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A legislative bill to create a tax break on private school tuition would now also offer relief on the cost of uniforms for public and private schoolchildren.

House Bill 7 was simply supposed to be a 50 percent tax deduction for up to $5,000 in private school tuition and home-schooling expenses parents pay per child. The maximum tax savings would be $300 for each child.

In addition to private school students, the bill would benefit parents — including Gov. Bobby Jindal and a number of other elected officials — who send their children to university laboratory schools.

Initially, fiscal analysts estimated the bill would reduce state government revenue by $20 million a year. After legislators tinkered with the legislation, the analysts said it was unclear what the bill’s current price tag would be.

The tax relief is warranted because the state’s inadequate public schools limit parents’ choices for their children’s education, Rep. Hunter Greene told the House Committee on Ways and Means.

“The (public) schools, at least in my area, haven’t been performing up to par,” said Greene, R-Baton Rouge.

The Episcopal Schools, one of the priciest area private schools, is in Greene’s House district. His children attend private Catholic schools.

Others expressed concern that the tax break would erode the public school system.

“When you provide incentives, the best and brightest will continue to leave the public school system,” said Jennifer Ansardi, a government consultant for the Jefferson Parish Public school system.

Rep. Harold Ritchie, D-Franklinton, complained the legislation would ignore hundreds of thousands of public school students.

“I have two granddaughters in public schools I need to take care of,” he said.

Ritchie suggested adding a deduction for uniforms and instructional supplies that parents purchase in the public school system.

Greene resisted the change, pointing out that private school parents incur those expenses as well.