News release: Proposed BOAST amendments gut tax credit, exclude Jewish schools

The House Ways and Means Committee will tomorrow consider amendments to the popular and widely-supported BOAST Maryland Tax Credit (SB 385/HB 946) that would completely eliminate students at the state’s Jewish schools from among its beneficiaries. The amendments gut the business tax credit program, and the scholarships for needy students it would create, in favor of a grant program.

“The Ways and Means Committee has had this bill before it for three years,” said Mary Ellen Russell, the executive director of the Maryland Catholic Conference. “It’s hard to believe this is a good faith effort when these amendments were developed without any consultation with the affected schools and shared with them only at the last minute.”

The Ways and Means Education subcommittee did not distribute the proposed amendments until 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 10. The legislative session ends Monday, April 12.

“Jewish schools offer a great public service by providing a high-quality education to thousands of students each year at a savings to taxpayers of more than $12,500 per student,” said Rabbi Ariel Sadwin, executive director of Agudath Israel of Maryland. “They should not be cut off from BOAST – a program they have advocated for years – at the last minute. To do so damages the intent of the bill to support all students and teachers.”

The proposed amendments to BOAST (Building Opportunities for All Students and Teachers) would create a program providing operational and capital grants totaling as much as $10 million a year to nonpublic schools that have operated at the same site for at least 25 years and have had an enrollment declines of at least 10 percent over five years.

Maryland’s Jewish schools would essentially be eliminated from the program under the proposed amendments, even though they serve many students who are eligible for free and reduced price meals. While some – though not all – Jewish schools have operated for 25 years, many have not done so at the same site. Few, if any, have experienced enrollment declines of 10 percent, though some of the schools’ financial situations leave their futures in doubt.

“Given the urgent needs of our students and their families, we’ll continue to press for a workable – and timely – solution with the committee,” Russell said. “Presuming we can work something out, the real issue is whether the Speaker and the chair of Ways and Means are going to move the bill quickly enough so that we don’t end up empty handed once again.”

“We all know that leadership can make this happen,” Sadwin added. “It is our hope that the Governor will do all he can to encourage them to get a bill through by tomorrow night.”

As introduced and passed by the Senate, BOAST would give businesses a 75 percent state income tax credit in exchange for their donations to scholarships for students in nonpublic schools or enrichment programs for public school students. Teachers in both public and nonpublic schools would also benefit. Gov. O’Malley endorsed the bill as introduced, and it has 75 House co-sponsors.

Among the other schools eliminated under the proposed amendments are Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School in Takoma Park, in the district of chairwoman Del. Sheila Hixson, and Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Baltimore. Both opened in 2007 and offer innovative work-study programs to students from families with an average annual income of under $30,000 a year.