[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 25 (Thursday, February 11, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E211]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         STATEMENT ON K-12 EDUCATION EXCELLENCE NOW (KEEN) ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MATT SALMON

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 11, 1999

  Mr. SALMON. Mr. Speaker, I am reintroducing the K through 12 
Education Excellence Now (KEEN) Act, which would offer tax credits to 
families and businesses of up to $250 annually for qualified K through 
12 education expenses or activities. Senator Kyl has reintroduced the 
companion in the Senate, where it has been included in the Coverdell-
Lott education reform bill (S. 277).
  Over the last 30 years, the Federal Government has steadily increased 
its monetary commitment to education. Unfortunately, we have not seen a 
corresponding improvement in the quality of the education our children 
receive. The results of the Third International Mathematics and Science 
Study (TIMSS), released last year, revealed that U.S. 12th graders 
scored next to last in advanced math and dead last in physics. The 
Department of Education, which promised that the United States would 
lead the world in math and science by the year 2000, can't even claim 
bragging rights over war-torn Slovenia. As to reading, which was not 
measured by TIMSS, 40 percent of fourth graders can't read at the basic 
level.
  The legislation I am introducing addresses the problem of falling 
education scores by giving families and businesses a tax incentive to 
provide children with a higher quality education. Specifically, it 
offers every family or business a tax credit of up to $250 annually for 
any K through 12 education expense or activity. This tax credit could 
be applied to home schooling, public schools (including charter 
schools), or parochial schools. Allowable expenses would include 
tuition, books, supplies, tutors, and computer equipment.
  Further, the tax credit could be given to a ``school-tuition 
organization'' for distribution. To qualify as a school-tuition 
organization, the organization would have to devote at least 90 percent 
of its income per year to offering grants and scholarships for parents 
to use to send their children to the school of their choice. How would 
this work? A group of businesses in any community could join forces to 
send sums for which they received tax credits to charitable ``school-
tuition organizations'' which would make scholarships and grants 
available to low-income parents of children in non-functional schools.
  Unlike the big government proposals being peddled by President 
Clinton and Vice-President Gore, KEEN credits would offer families 
control over the expenditure of these education dollars, not 
centralized bureaucrats. Moreover, the bill would provide an 
``emergency blood transfusion'' to improve America's schools 
immediately. In Arizona, where a limited version of this operates, 
inner-city schools are already profiting from an infusion of 
contributions from area businesses. I encourage my colleagues to enact 
the K-12 tax credit proposal as expeditiously as possible.

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