A state elections board met on Monday in Lansing. Its agenda includes consideration of a petition campaign to allow a tax break for donating to funds for private school education.
The campaign wants to a create tax credit to help families pay costs such as tuition, books, and home internet, says spokesman Fred Wszolek.
“This is about providing educational opportunities that span a wide array of options.
But Casandra Ulbrich, a Democrat on the Michigan State Board of Education, says that would siphon funds from public schools. She’s asking people to decline to sign the petition.
“We could be talking about a billion dollars that are being diverted out of the tax system and are being diverted to private and religious schools.”
She also says this also violates the state constitution’s ban on direct or indirect state aid to private schools.