Congressman Bob Turner (NY-09) announced the Tax and Education Assistance for Children (TEACH) Act of 2012. The bill will provide a tax credit of up to 5,000 dollars per year, per family, for families who send their children to private schools and eliminate a “double taxation” on parents who send their children to non-public schools.

“I recently introduced H.R. 4075, the Tax and Education Assistance for Children (TEACH) Act of 2012,” said Congressman Turner. “The TEACH Act will provide parents who send their children to non-public elementary and secondary schools a tax credit of up to $5,000 per year, and effectively eliminate or minimize the effects of this ‘double taxation’.”

Members of school communities are ecstatic about what this will mean for them.

“As the Chairman of the Board, I deal with the tuition committee and I know how difficult the tuition payments are for some parents. I applaud Congressman Turner for realizing the need for parents sending their children to private schools to have a tax credit. This bill will be helpful to so many of our parents,” Larry Goldfarb, Chairman of the Board, Crown Heights Yeshivah of Mill Basin said.

Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) believes the bill will help parents provide a meaningful education for their children.

“A tax credit for families paying for private schooling is not only fair, but long overdue,” said Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn). “Rising budgets were always a reality, but their impact during this economic downturn have been devastating. Private schools are suffering and parents are suffering. Regardless, parents should be allowed to provide the best and most meaningful education to their children—and to receive fair and appropriate relief from the government. I applaud Congressman Turner for recognizing how many parents will be aided by this bill and championing this important issue. This bill will benefit everyone.”

Local leaders who have supported similar efforts at the state level are thrilled that Turner is leading the charge at the Congressional level.

State Senator Marty Golden (R-C-I, Brooklyn) stated, “As the sponsor of a legislative effort that saw the institution of a child tax credit for public, private and parochial school students in New York State, I commend Congressman Bob Turner for introducing this legislation. Like myself, Congressman Turner understands that the rising costs of education are taxing the budget of New York families. We must do something to help offset expenses so that our children have every opportunity to get the best education possible.”

Parents aren’t the only ones who see the positives in this bill. School administrators across the district also see the benefits a tax credit will provide for families.

Rabbi Yaakov Lonner, Executive Director of Yeshiva of Central Queens said, “Non-public school parents should not be subject to ‘double taxation’. By paying tuition to private schools, they are, in effect, saving the government millions of dollars. It is a tremendous burden for them to carry. No doubt, a tax break such as the congressman proposes is sorely needed.”

Day school and Yeshiva administrators also see the TEACH act as a bill that will help non-public schools increase their enrollment by making tuition more affordable while reducing class sizes and costs for public schools.

There are more than 75 schools within the 9th New York District that Congressman Turner represents that would qualify as elementary or secondary schools under the bill.

(YWN Desk – NYC)