The Kansas House is scheduled to debate SB 87 tomorrow. Please call your state representative to urge them oppose this bill.
SB 87 significantly expands the Low-Income Student Scholarship Program in Kansas. While this may seem beneficial, the program functions as a voucher system that primarily benefits wealthy individuals by providing them with tax credits for their contributions. Further, there are no measures of accountability for private schools that benefit. Private schools are still free to discriminate and choose their students. Effectively, this bill makes working Kansans foot the bill to subsidize wealthy families to send their kids to for-profit, unaccountable private schools.
- This program could eventually cost the State General Fund up to $20 million a year in lost revenue, which could otherwise be allocated to public education.
- The legislation significantly increases the tax incentives for contributors to the scholarship program. For tax years commencing after December 31, 2024, contributors will receive a 75% tax credit for their donations.
- Wealthy donors can receive up to $500,000 in tax credits for a given calendar year.
- The bill includes an automatic expansion trigger. If the total credits claimed exceed 75% of the aggregate limit (currently $10 million), that limit will increase by 25% for the following tax year, though it cannot exceed $20 million.
