By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Qualifying St. Joseph schoolchildren can get scholarships to attend private school under a new program in Missouri.
State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick says about $1 million has already been donated to the MOScholars program. Under the program, children from low-income families can receive scholarships. Fitzpatrick adds children with special needs, whether physical or intellectual, qualify as well.
“Some schools just aren’t necessarily equipped to provide what that student might need,” Fitzpatrick tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “They may not have the staffing levels necessary or they may not have the expertise necessary to really address all of those needs. So, this is designed to give those students at little bit of another option to find a different school that could potentially meet those needs.”
The legislature approved the MOScholars program in 2019. It went into effect this month. It could grow to become a $25 million program. Students in Missouri cities of at least 30,000 residents or who live in counties with a charter form of government qualify. They can receive a scholarship worth $6,375.
Money is donated to six Educational Assistance Organizations in Missouri which award the scholarships to qualifying students. Three EAOs operate in St. Joseph: The Herzog Foundation, Bright Futures, and the ACSI Children’s Tuition Fund.
Fitzpatrick says interested parents should investigate the program.
“The first step really is to, number one, identify the school that you want to attend or you want your student to attend,” according to Fitzpatrick. “Then, step two would be to contact an Educational Assistance Organization that is partnering with that school or that you would like to try to get to partner with that school.”
Missouri taxpayers who donate to the program receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit.
Click HERE for the Missouri State Treasurer Office website.