Under the program, which passed the Senate Education Committee, Pennsylvania students enrolled in 144 of failing public schools in the state would have access to an average voucher of $7,700. Students from families that make less than $29,000 annually will be eligible for a full voucher; families that make less than $41,00 qualify for a partial one, according to the Daily Times.
The voucher program, which would begin in the 2012-2013 school year, would allow students to move to charter or private schools. It would also expand the Educational Improvement Tax Credit, which gives scholarships to low-income families and is funded by corporate donations. Families who make less than $60,000 yearly are eligible.
"The time has come for adoption of a rescue plan for those students who have been failed by the current system," state Sen. Jeff Piccola, committee chairman and a lead sponsor of the school choice bill, told the newspaper.