Killion visits to Holy Family Regional, promotes school choice
ASTON » State Sen. Tom Killion (R-9) visited Holy Family Regional Catholic School on Friday, April 6, where he spoke with faculty and students about the importance of a quality education and the ability for parents to have a choice in where their children enroll.
“I’m proud to support Pennsylvania families that want a quality education for their children. It’s vital to our future that students in my district and across the state are provided with the opportunity they need to be successful,” said Killion.
Business Leadership Organized for Catholic Schools (BLOCS) has seen the popularity of school choice firsthand. The independent Philadelphia-based charity, which provides tuition assistance to families looking to attend Catholic schools like Holy Family Regional, gave out $16.3 million in scholarships to help 11,800 students in 2015-16. Fifty-nine percent of the scholarships went to students whose families made less than $50,000 annually.
“It’s unfortunate that, in some cases, parents are forced to send their children to underperforming schools. A student’s education should not be dependent upon his or her ZIP code,” said Bill O’Brien, executive director of BLOCS. “Thanks to school choice, Pennsylvania parents can take a stand on their children’s education by deciding which school is best suited to their educational needs.”
The scholarships distributed by BLOCS are made possible by the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program (EITC), which incentivizes businesses to donate to private school scholarship programs.
“We were thrilled to welcome Sen. Killion to Holy Family this morning,” said Jennifer Dolores, principal of Holy Family Regional Catholic School. “It’s crucial our students understand the importance of civic engagement at a young age and to know they have a voice in Harrisburg.”