JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri lawmakers on Thursday passed a bill to expand private school scholarships statewide, an effort made possible by extensive compromises including a commitment to spend hundreds of millions of dollars more on public schools.
The GOP-led House voted with a bare-minimum margin of 82-69 to send the measure to Republican Gov. Mike Parson. If signed, it would offer up to $6,375 per child for expenses including tuition, textbooks, tutoring, transportation, extracurriculars and summer school.
The bill’s passage is a victory for advocates who have struggled for years to expand access to charter schools, virtual schools and private schools in Missouri. Worries about taking away resources from traditional kindergarten-12th grade public schools have been bipartisan.
The heart of the legislation is the expansion of Missouri Empowerment Scholarships Accounts, which low-income families can draw from. The money will come from private donors, who in return get tax credits.
The Chicago Bears are poised to draft Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft
Is a 99% mortgage really that bad? This is Money podcast
Globetrotting couple share stunning photos from visits to 75 countries
Mercedes upgrades its electric EQS to give the EV a huge 511 mile
Woman, 26, who shed 70lbs reveals the surprising ways weight loss has transformed her life
Tale of the state pension underpaid for 20 YEARS: This is Money podcast
Best credit cards rated: Top for cashback, rewards and clearing debt
Astronaut Thomas Stafford, commander of Apollo 10, dies aged 93: Air Force three
REVEALED: NBC 'plans to put heart
How to invest to beat tax raids
As earnings season rolls into its heart, hopes rise for broader gains
3 jailed for Hong Kong's priciest art heist, after selling billion