Jewish Educators Differ Before Ways, Means Committee Pearl Opposes Any Federal Tax Credits for Non-p

The New York Committee for Public Education and Religious Liberty (PEARL) reported that it testified before the House Ways and Means Committee in opposition today to federal tax credit proposals for nonpublic school parents. The House Ways and Means Committee has been hearing statements from various groups, including those of two national Orthodox spokesmen who pleaded for creation of a bill that would allow such tax credits.

PEARL, a coalition of 33 civic, religious and educational groups, told the committee that the proposals would unconstitutionally “force all taxpayers to contribute toward the refunding of tuition payments to parents of children attending nonpublic schools, 95 percent of which are religiously affiliated and controlled.”

Fiorence Flast, vice-chairman of PEARL told the committee that “religious liberty in America means not only the right to pursue one’s own beliefs and the right to choose a religious education for one’s children, but freedom from compulsory taxation to foster the religious beliefs of others…. We do not deny any parent his right to choose private or religious education for his children, but no parent has the right to demand a share of public tax funds to subsidize a private choice just because he is not using available public services,” she said.

Mrs. Flast further stated that “pluralism” and the goal of racial integration were not enhanced by funding private schools, which “have selective admissions and retention policies–by religion, academic achievement, national origin, behavior and socio-economic status–that make them more elitist than pluralistic.”

The two Jewish groups which gave testimony before the committee were the National Jewish Commission on Law and Public Affairs (COLPA) and Agudath Israel of America. They called the present laws basically unfair because non-public school parents in essence relieve the state of the burden and expense of educating children, while at the same time the parents contribute to the general tax fund from which public education funds are drawn.