The veto of the Coverdell IRA bill is a victory for our nation s students in public schools. This regressive tax bill would not help working families. Families who cannot afford to put funding into an IRA would receive no tax benefit at all. The proposal alludes to the promise of school choice.
Private schools have the discretion to select their students and set tuition.
This bill cannot guarantee admittance to, nor adequate funds to cover tuition for, most private schools. More importantly, Coverdell did nothing to improve public schools that are open to all students, and is a blatant attempt to dismantle a system that educates 47 million of our nation s children. Our society recognizes the importance of every child having access to a quality education. As a nation we must invest in our schools, not institute a tax credit that will short change them. Public schools open their doors to children from all socioeconomic, ethnic, racial, and religious groups.