More money could flow to low-income students looking for private education

Senate easily passes legislation to increase funding for private school scholarships

Photo by Ivan Aleksic on Unsplash

PIERRE — Legislation that would increase the amount of money available for private school scholarships sailed through the South Dakota State Senate Tuesday. 

If signed into law, SB 72 would raise the yearly cap on the amount of money that insurance companies are able to contribute to private school scholarship funds. A  law passed by the legislature in 2016 allows insurance companies to get tax credits for giving money to the program. 

Both Sens. Jim Stalzer and Lee Schoenbeck, champions of the legislation who helped to create the program in 2016, says that upping the total amount of money available from $3.5 million to $5 million will benefit both taxpayers and low-income families. 

“I think people think when you say private schools, that this is like the Minnehaha Country Club,” Schoenbeck said. “It isn’t… This is creating opportunities for new and lower-income South Dakotans.” 

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