The House Education Committee was scheduled to take up House Bill 687, Tax Credits for Children with Disabilities.  This bill would allow parents a tax credit up to $6,000 to offset private school tuition if they found better care there for their children with disabilities. Since the cost to care for these children in the public schools is over $8,000 a year, the credits would result in significant cost savings for the state.  But most importantly it allows families to find the best care for their children.

The committee did not get to the bill today. They used all their time on two other matters, SB 1019 which establishes a financial literacy council. They think this is needed since studies have shown seventh graders and high schoolers don’t understand financial concepts and “more than a quarter of all NC households with children do not have enough money saved to weather a loss of earned income for 3 months”. How do they know this and will this be a new government requirement? Anyway, the bill passes.

They also considered SB 1030 which requires DHHS to include playgrounds and athletic fields in the definition of a building that is used for after school programs and establishes approval procedures for after school care programs.

Tax Credit for Children with Disabilities will be considered at the next Education meeting and is promised full consideration.