National School Choice Week Recap

We finished National School Choice Week last week. Tens of thousands of educational choice advocates rallied around the country.

CAPE's Executive Director Michael Schuttloffel attended a School Choice Reception at the U.S. Capitol with representatives from USCCB, ACSI, NCEA, & Agudath Israel. They are pictured here with Senator Tim Scott.

“It is unacceptable that today – in the United States of America – millions of kids who grew up just like I did still lack access to quality education simply because of their zip code,” Senator Scott said when introducing his National School Choice Week resolution last week. “We cannot leave our kids’ education and the future of America’s children to chance. Instead, transforming our nation’s education system and ensuring every child has access to a quality education must be our call to action every single day.”

Private Schools' Tax Exemption Before the Fourth Circuit

On January 25, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit heard an appeal of a 2022 court ruling that tax-exempt status is a form of federal financial assistance. This case has important implications for private schools and other nonprofits, because recipients of federal financial assistance are subject to various federal regulations.

The 2022 decision under appeal upended the longstanding policy that a tax exemption is not the same as receiving federal assistance. CAPE signed a letter supporting an amicus brief on behalf of the appeal, and is also supporting the Safeguarding Charity Act, introduced by Senator Marco Rubio and Representative Greg Steube. This legislation would clarify that tax-exempt status is not federal financial assistance.

Nebraska Considers ESA Bill

After passing tax credit scholarship legislation last year, a new proposal in the Nebraska Legislature would deposit $1,500 a year per student into education savings accounts for students attending private schools.