Md. GOP Lawmakers Introduce Education Voucher Proposal

Maryland families in school districts that do not fully reopen for in-person learning by the start of the 2021-22 school year could obtain grants, equal to the per-student share that comes from the state. Such grants could be applied to the cost of attending a private or parochial school.

The ‘real money for real education act’ is part of a package of bills introduced by House GOP members Thursday surrounding the desire to get students back into classrooms as soon as possible.

Another measure would offer tax credits that would help households offset some of the costs of remote learning such as increased childcare needs, Internet, higher energy costs or even higher food costs. A bill in the House GOP package also has the goal of requiring in-person services in such areas as special education, speech and language therapy, counseling and behavioral health, and physical and occupational therapy.

“Our colleagues in the House Minority Caucus are committed to ensuring that ALL students in Maryland receive a quality education”, House Minority Whip Delegate Kathy Szeliga, R- Baltimore Co. Harford Co., said. “We are hearing from parents and teachers across the state as they look for us to represent their interests and the interests of their students. They are watching their children decline academically as they struggle with virtual learning. They see the toll this isolation is having on the overall wellbeing. They are begging us for help. Meanwhile, the Maryland’s Teachers Union keeps throwing up roadblocks and making excuses as to why children should not return to the classroom. This is unconscionable.”