HARRISBURG- Senator Judy Ward (R-30) and Senator Anthony Williams (D-8) introduced the Pennsylvania Award for Student Success (PASS), which would create a scholarship program for those in low performing schools to use to pursue other educational opportunities that better fit their needs.
The PASS scholarship program would be administered by the Treasury though scholarship accounts created for each individual student, and funding for this program would consist of money that is appropriated, given, granted, or donated by the commonwealth, a government agency, private agency, or individual. Scholarships would be worth $2,500, $5,000, $10,000, and $15,000 for half-day kindergarten, full-time kindergarten through eighth grade, ninth through twelfth grade, and special education, respectively.
Eligible students would be those children who reside in the attendance boundary of one of the lowest 15% performing schools and who live in a household whose income is less than 250% of the federal poverty guideline. Money in the scholarship fund can be used toward tuition, school related fees, or special education fees at a nonpublic school.
“A quality education is the gateway to success,” said Ward. “Scholarship programs like these are a lifeline for those children and families desperate to escape a poor educational experience. By leaving children trapped in schools that are failing them, we make it harder for them to pursue opportunities and achieve their brightest future.”
According to the 2024 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA), about 72% of eighth-grade students in the Pennsylvania public school system aren’t proficient in math and 48% aren’t proficient in language arts. In the bottom 15% of public schools, only 7% of High School students and 10% of elementary students are proficient in math. Less than one-third can read at grade level. In 18 of these schools, there is not a single student in the entire school proficient in either reading or math.
“Parents know best what their child’s needs are,” says Ward. “We need to empower parents to put their children in the most appropriate learning situation and find educational opportunities that best suits those needs.”
Considering the dismal numbers we see in some public schools today, it is no surprise that a majority of Pennsylvanians support additional educational opportunities. According to the American Federation for Children, 71% of Pennsylvanians support programs like PASS that give scholarships to primarily lower income students.
Governor Shapiro has also expressed support for a program like this, stating “I’m for fully funding public education. I’m for making sure we give parents the ability [to] put their kids in the best situation for them to be able to succeed. And I’m for making sure we add scholarships like lifeline scholarships to make sure that that’s additive to their educations. That it gives them other opportunities…to be able to help them achieve success.”
The legislation is currently in the Senate Education Committee for its consideration.
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