By Bill Griffin
One of my favorite traditions as a public school principal was inviting representatives from public and nonpublic high schools — including George Washington, Northeast, Archbishop Ryan, St. Hubert Catholic High School for Girls and Father Judge — to meet with our eighth-grade students and explain the opportunities their schools offered.
Before lawmakers voted to fundamentally change Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit program, I wish they had done something similar. I wish they had listened to the students whose scholarships depend on it, the parents who rely on it and the schools that make those opportunities possible.
Throughout my career, I believed every child learns differently, and every family deserves complete and accurate information so they can choose the educational setting where their child can thrive. That principle guided me as an educator, and I believe it should also guide lawmakers when asking Pennsylvanians to evaluate significant changes to education policy.
For many Pennsylvania families, choice alone was not enough. They also needed the financial means to make that choice possible. The Educational Improvement Tax Credit program has opened those doors through scholarships for students who otherwise might not have had those opportunities.
Rarely do government programs work as well as they are intended. EITC has provided tuition assistance to more than 1 million students, including thousands from Philadelphia.
That is why I was disappointed to see the Pennsylvania House of Representatives vote for House Bill 2632, legislation that closes the current EITC and OSTC tax credit programs — which have expanded educational opportunities for families across Pennsylvania, including many in Northeast Philadelphia — and replaces them, beginning with the 2027-28 fiscal year, with the new Education Options Tax Credit Program.
I was even more concerned after reading the recent opinion article by current state Rep. Pat Gallagher and other Northeast Philly elected Democratic state representatives defending that vote.
Thousands of students and families, school leaders from many faith traditions, scholarship organizations and even Archbishop Nelson Pérez have expressed serious concerns about House Bill 2632. Rather than dismissing those concerns, I believe they deserve an honest response and a thoughtful public discussion.
The state representatives claim they want more “accountability” in the program. Fair enough, when government is transparent and accountable, everyone benefits, but I have a few questions. They indicate that the need for additional accountability is based on an Independent Fiscal Office “comprehensive review,” yet they do not mention that the report was published in January 2022. Why was that important detail omitted? If the report had been publicly available for more than four years, why was House Bill 2632 introduced on June 12, 2026, and brought to a House vote just 10 days later on June 22, 2026? What changed that required such an accelerated timeline?
Why do they not acknowledge the extensive oversight already administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development? And if additional accountability was needed, why was strengthening the existing program not fully considered instead of creating a new one? (The official DCED website documents the current oversight and reporting requirements for the EITC Program.)
House Bill 2632 also adds new auditing, reporting and administrative requirements while changing scholarship eligibility. Those changes raise an important question: How many Pennsylvania children — including children here in Northeast Philadelphia — will lose opportunities they have today?
Whether these are the best public policies is open to debate.
But before fundamentally changing a successful 25-year-old program —created with overwhelming bipartisan support— that has helped generations of families, I believe the people of Northeast Philadelphia deserve honest answers.
Before this legislation was passed, what outreach was conducted with parents, schools, scholarship organizations, and participating donors? Were public meetings or town halls held?
Before these lawmakers voted to change the EITC program, they ought to have asked themselves one simple question: How will this affect our students? Government can revise laws, amend regulations and improve programs over time.
Children do not have that luxury.
A child only gets one chance to experience kindergarten, elementary school, middle school or high school. If delays or unintended consequences occur during the transition to a new program, those lost educational opportunities cannot simply be given back to the students who needed them most.
Good government requires accountability. It also requires transparency, honest debate and meaningful public participation before major policy decisions are made.
When those decisions affect children, we have a responsibility to get them right the first time. Our families, our schools and our community deserve nothing less. ••
Bill Griffin is a lifelong Northeast Philadelphia resident, former public school principal and special education teacher with more than 35 years of service in education. He is the Republican nominee for state representative in the 173rd Legislative District. Visit ElectBillGriffin.com or follow at facebook.com/ElectBillGriffin
