Group rallies for bill to help private education

Read the full story on WBAL.com. Hundreds of students rallied in Annapolis in support of legislation to help curb the tide of private school closures.

The legislation would give Maryland businesses a 75 percent state tax credit for donations to organizations that support scholarships and other school programs.

Supporters said they believe passage of the bill will help save parochial and other private schools from extinction.

"If they pass the law, we'll have more money and the students will be able to do extra curricular activities, and that will benefit us," said private school student Obeyomi Adenekan.

"I need them to support this so other kids can come to school and be prosperous and they can learn how to get a better education," said student Micah Austin.

The rally came as the Archdiocese of Baltimore said it would announce which of its 64 Catholic schools will have to close.

"For our schools, our faculty used to be mostly religious people who really didn't work for a very large wage. Now, we are almost entirely a lay-faculty. They deserve a just salary, and that comes from tuition, so making up that difference has been an increasing challenge," said Mary Ellen Russell, executive director of the Maryland Catholic Conference.

The bill has 75 co-sponsors. "We cannot afford to have the private schools go out of business because statistics show that they would quite simply overwhelm our public schools."
- Delegate Jay Walker, D-Prince George's County

"I want to work very hard to make sure our non-public schools continue to exist in our state," said Sen. Ron Dyson, D-St. Mary's County.

"We must make sure we have equal education for all. We cannot afford to have the private schools go out of business because statistics show that they would quite simply overwhelm our public schools," said Delegate Jay Walker, D-Prince George's County.

Non-public schools save taxpayers $1.5 billion a year by not overwhelming the public school system.

Building Opportunities for All Students and Teachers in Maryland, or BOAST, organized the rally. They said public and private schoolteachers would benefit through increased opportunities to get professional development funding.

It would also offset costs for tutoring, mentoring and supplies.

Despite the high number of sponsors, previous bills have failed.

The House Ways and Means Committee has been the stumbling block. This year, the chairperson pledged to allow a vote but wants to see what the Senate does with it first.