U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon speaks at the Capitol in Harrisburg, April 10, 2026. (Photo by Ian Karbal/Pennsylvania Capital-Star)
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon joined Pennsylvania Congressman Scott Perry (R-10) and a group of Republican state lawmakers in Harrisburg to advocate for the Commonwealth’s participation in a federal school choice program.
“For too long, many Americans have been trapped in inadequate and failing schools where students have failed to achieve basic proficiency scores,” McMahon said at a news conference Friday at the Capitol.
The Trump administration’s education tax credit program would allow Pennsylvanians to receive federal tax credits of up to $1,700 for donating to organizations that award scholarships, which must be approved by the state.
These organizations, in turn, would fund private or religious school scholarships, private tutoring, and other educational programs for eligible students, including students enrolled in public schools.
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Families earning up to 300% of the average income in their place of residence are eligible to receive scholarships. That represents about 90% of Pennsylvania’s K-12 students, according to the Commonwealth Foundation, a conservative and libertarian think tank.
However, the program requires approval from Gov. Josh Shapiro. While he has generally expressed support for school choice programs in the past, he has not yet enrolled the Commonwealth in the federal program, which was created as part of the Working Families Tax Cuts Act of 2025.
McMahon said the program will not cost the state money. But critics say it effectively redirects federal tax money to private and religious schools. And because public schools are partially funded based on enrollment, transferring students to private institutions can cost them money.
Pennsylvania has two state programs that offer tax credits to companies that fund private school scholarships: the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit and the Education Improvement Tax Credit.
Speakers at the press conference urged Shapiro to include Pennsylvania in the program. Twenty-seven states have already done so
“I think it is unfortunate that despite such vigorous and broad support, Governor Shapiro has hesitated to express his support for this transformation program,” McMahon said.
She noted that approximately 80,000 applicants were rejected from existing state tax credit scholarship programs for the 2022-2023 school year, evidence of how additional federal funding can lend a hand Pennsylvanians. She also cited a 2025 poll commissioned by the group Democrats for Education Reform, which showed that 78% of Pennsylvanians chose to join the program.
Perry noted Shapiro’s history of supporting school choice as a candidate for governor in 2022. However, Shapiro fell out with Republicans in Harrisburg when vetoed funding for the school voucher plan in 2023 after House Democrats objected during budget negotiations this year.
“This must be a priority for the governor, who, as you all know, promised us – he promised us during the campaign… that we would have a choice in how and where our children would be educated, and not be reassigned to a failed school district,” Perry said.
He quoted A News and world report from the USA which placed Pennsylvania 39th in education out of 50 states.
State Representative Martina White (Philadelphia) discussed her story as a Catholic school student.
“I was just another Catholic school kid from Northeast Philadelphia,” she said. “But looking back, I understand something much better: This opportunity didn’t just come along. My parents made sacrifices. They made conscious choices about how they spent their money and what to prioritize because they believed it would give their children the best chance to succeed. And they were right.”
Shapiro, for his part, said it was his office is waiting for detailed information from the Trump administration before making a decision on whether to enroll Pennsylvania in the program.
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“The Shapiro administration is awaiting federal guidance to answer key questions about how this program will operate, including which students will be eligible, how this federal initiative will interact with existing programs, and more,” his office said in a statement. “We look forward to reviewing these guidelines.”
Susan Spicka, executive director of Education Voters PA, a nonprofit organization advocating for public schools, he told Chalkbeat last month It would be “wildly irresponsible” for Pennsylvania to join the program before the U.S. Treasury determines how the program will operate. She said such rules could ultimately determine whether and how much the program will ultimately cost taxpayers.
The deadline to opt-in to the program for the 2027-2028 school year is January 1, 2027.
