Our students need a ‘lifeline’ and HB 2169 is it

Originally published in the Bucks County Courier Times

This month, the Pennsylvania House has been abuzz with anticipation of a vote on Lifeline Scholarship Program, or House Bill 2169 (Reps. Clint Owlett and Martina White). Lifeline scholarships would help children stuck in the lowest-performing schools in our commonwealth. HB 2169 empowers parents with restricted-use scholarship funding for a school of their choice and approved expenses like tutoring or books.

Sadly, there are school district leaders, even from districts that HB 2169 would benefit the most, who have joined the teachers’ unions in Herculean efforts to stop the vote for Lifeline Scholarships. In doing so, they work against the interests of students and parents.

Given the past two years of pandemic school closures followed by significant learning loss, it’s no surprise that parents are eager to support customizable education for their children. Recent standardized testing scores reveal that 78% of our eighth graders are not proficient in math, and 47% are below their grade level in language arts. These statewide scores represent staggering ten- and five-percentage point drops from 2019.

Read more in the Bucks County Courier Times