CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Members of the Chesapeake Education Association are urging the school board to take a stand against a federal voucher program they say could cost the district millions of dollars in public funding.
Educators from the Chesapeake Education Association brought a resolution to Monday's school board meeting asking the district to formally oppose the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit Program. The program, set to begin January 1, 2027, would provide tax credits to individuals and businesses that donate to scholarship organizations for private school tuition.
"It is currently an opt-in program, so states have the opportunity to opt themselves in to federal vouchers, and Governor Glenn Youngkin as one of his last acts in office, opted Virginia into this program," said Katelyn Ritenour, president of the Chesapeake Education Association.
The program allows taxpayers to claim dollar-for-dollar federal tax credits for donations to scholarship organizations, up to 10% of their federal tax liability. According to the IRS, the total amount of credits available nationally is capped at $10 billion for the first year, with annual increases of $1 billion until reaching $15 billion.
Ritenour estimates the program could drain nearly $1 billion from Virginia's public schools statewide. Chesapeake's share of that loss is projected at $22 million annually.
"That's just money we cannot afford to lose," Ritenour said. "We need that money to support our students and the resources and programs and staffing we need to have the best public schools possible."
The educator's union wants the school board to pass a resolution asking Governor Abigail Spanberger to opt Virginia out of the program. Several teachers spoke during Monday's meeting about their concerns over the potential funding loss.
School Board member Malia Huddle responded to their request by asking that the resolution be placed on the October 12th meeting agenda for an official vote.
"I'd like to request that this proposed resolution be placed on our action agenda for our October 12th meeting," Huddle said during the meeting.
Ritenour's biggest concern goes beyond just the money. She worries that private schools receiving public funding through the voucher program won't be held to the same accountability standards as public schools.
"We still have to maintain the buildings and have electrical and heating and water. We still have to have certain numbers of staff. And of course, we're really concerned about the effect on our students," Ritenour explained.
Public schools must serve all students, including those with disabilities, and follow federal and state educational standards. Private schools participating in voucher programs typically have more flexibility in their admissions policies and curriculum requirements.
When Chesapeake reporter Erin Holly asked if she's confident the school board will pass the resolution, Ritenour said the Chesapeake Education Association is working to ensure board members have all the information they need.
"Leadership of the Chesapeake Education Association is actually reaching out to our school board members pretty frequently to make sure that they have all of the information they feel they need to make an informed vote on this decision," she said.
The resolution is part of a broader effort by education advocates across Virginia who are concerned about the impact of school choice programs on public education funding. Similar resolutions have been proposed in other Virginia school districts.
The Chesapeake School Board will vote on the anti-voucher resolution at their October 12th meeting.
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