Congress Funds D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program

Congress Funds D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program

(Washington, D.C.) – Today the President is expected to sign legislation funding federal agencies for the remainder of 2017. This measure includes a three-year reauthorization of Washington, D.C.’s Opportunity Scholarship Program. While Hispanics are more likely to live in areas with low-performing or failing schools, there is growing evidence that this program is effective at breaking the link between poverty and poor education. The bill provides $45 million for the Opportunity Scholarship Program, as well as for D.C. charter schools and public schools. More than 1,200 students are currently participating in the program, with an average income below $22,000 per year per family – 97 percent of whom are minorities. 

Daniel Garza, President of The LIBRE Initiative, released the following statement:

“Educational choice programs offer tremendous potential benefits to Latinos and others around the country. By allowing kids to access high-performing schools, they promote educational opportunity and make it easier to achieve the American Dream. They also empower families to access schools that best serve their child’s specific educational needs. The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program in particular, has benefited minority families in Washington, D.C. throughout its history. It’s gratifying that this initiative has received such strong bipartisan support, despite efforts to kill it as recently as a few years ago.” 

For Interviews with a representative from The LIBRE Initiative, please contact Brian Faughnan, 202-805-1581 or Wadi Gaitan, 202-853-4463

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