Good afternoon, distinguished members of the Education Committee, My name is Tim Anop, and I serve as the Director of External Affairs at Yankee Institute. Yankee Institute is proud to be the eyes, ears, and voice of hardworking people who want a prosperous Connecticut. Thank you for the opportunity to testify in support of SB 1347, which would direct the Commissioner of Education to develop a program expanding school choice in Connecticut. This bill represents a transformative opportunity to close our state’s education achievement gap, one of the largest in the nation. A proven solution that should be studied is the creation of an Tax credit scholarship program, like the approach proposed in SB 122 and successfully implemented in other states.
Every child deserves access to a high-quality education, regardless of their family’s income. Senate Bill 122 would establish a tax credit program that incentivizes individuals to donate to scholarship organizations that specifically serve low-income students, ensuring support reaches those who need it most. By leveraging the free market to create public-private partnerships, this approach while taking zero dollars away from public school funding could bridge one of the largest achievement gaps in the nation — an approach Connecticut has yet to try. Connecticut has seen success with scholarship programs with the Connecticut Center for Educational Excellence (CTCEE). Funded entirely by public donations, CTCEE provided scholarships to low-income students. CTCEE students achieved a 100% pass rate, with zero unexcused absences, compared to a 32.9% truancy rate among low-income public-school peers.
In Waterbury, 8th-grade CTCEE students were 11 times more likely to reach math proficiency than their public-school counterparts. Connecticut is not alone in recognizing the value of such programs. Illinois’ “Invest in Kids” Program served over 40,000 students, with an additional 24,000 on a waiting list at the time of its discontinuation (p. 9). Results were clear: TCS students outperformed their public-school peers, with 23.9% proficiency in Grade 8 Math compared to 11.1% for low-income public-school students.
Similarly, Pennsylvania’s Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) provided scholarships to 23,430 students in 2022, saving the state over $205 million over ten years. Rhode Island also demonstrates success, awarding scholarships to 400 low-income students annually with 90% of contributions directly benefiting students.
These states highlight a crucial fact: Opportunity Scholarship Programs work and provide tangible academic and economic benefits. A frequent concern is that such programs take funds away from public schools. However, TCS programs do the opposite. As students move to private options, per-student funding in public schools increases, since fewer students share the same budget.
The path forward is clear. SB 1347, supported by the framework of SB 122, offers a proven, cost effective way to provide equitable access to high-quality education. Successes in Connecticut, through CTCEE, and in other states like Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island, confirm that Opportunity Scholarship Programs bridge educational gaps without harming public schools. Now is the time for Connecticut to invest in its future — providing every child with the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their families’ income.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
