Congress Opened the Door to More Scholarships for Jewish Day Schools. Will Washington Walk Through It?

On July 4 of this year Congress passed a megabill of more than 1,000 pages. Tucked inside was the Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act, a new federal tax credit provision that could have a game-changing impact on Jewish day school education in Washington State. 

This credit is designed to expand access to private and independent schools, including Jewish day schools, by multiplying the power of community donations into new scholarship funds. Beginning in 2027, individuals will be able to claim a federal tax credit of up to $1,700 (or $3,400 for couples) when donating to approved scholarship-granting organizations. 

Donors already play a vital role in sustaining Seattle-area Jewish day schools. These schools serve more than 450 children each year, with over 60% of families relying on some form of financial aid. With this bill, both new and existing supporters of Jewish day school education can increase their donations, knowing they will get dollar-for-dollar back in federal tax credits. Conservative estimates project that even modest participation could generate more than $1 million annually in additional scholarship funds for local Jewish day schools.

A Cost-Free Opportunity — But Only If Washington Opts In

There is one critical caveat: each state’s Governor must formally opt in. Dozens of governors have already said yes, but Governor Ferguson has not. And unfortunately, influential opponents have mischaracterized the tax credit as a voucher program that harms public schools. 

The law itself makes it clear that this is simply not true. The Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act is not a voucher program, nor does it take money away from public schools. The program targets education donations and multiplies their impact through a federal tax credit. In doing this, it delivers a cost-free way to return federal dollars to Washington’s Jewish and independent schools. 

Public Schools Benefit Too

Critics overlook provisions in the bill that benefit public school students too. The law specifies that funds may also be used by public schools for tutoring, after-school programs, technology or even full-day kindergarten. As the Boston Globe argued in a recent editorial explaining the potential benefits to public school students, “it would be foolish to deny scholarships to kids … simply because Republicans created them.”

Where Washington Stands Now

Governor Ferguson has been noncommittal to date. But he, himself, is a product of Catholic schools. His parents chose to give him a private, faith-based education, an experience that has surely shaped his values, leadership, and path to public service. Washington’s Jewish and independent school families deserve the same opportunity: The chance for parents and grandparents to choose a private religious education for their children, supported by scholarship dollars that make these schools more accessible.

The Details: How the Tax Credit Program Works

Here’s how the program works: donors give money to Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs) — special nonprofits that are approved to provide scholarships for private school students. If Washington participates, an SGO would be set up to serve Jewish day schools. That would allow donors to direct their gifts to this SGO, with the money going straight to scholarships for Jewish K-12 education. The SGO would then pass those funds on to the schools to help families with tuition.

The federal tax credit goes directly to donors—parents, grandparents, alumni, and community members—who want to make sure that Jewish day school is affordable for families of all incomes.

In short, if Washington opts in, Jewish day school families can expect significantly more scholarship money to become available, lowering tuition overall for most families. 

What the Community Can Do

The first step is to take the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) community survey. The survey does not list the federal tax credit directly, but you can use the comments section to let the JCRC know that opting in to this tax credit should be an advocacy priority. 

At the same time, Samis is working in partnership with other independent school organizations—including Washington Federation of Independent Schools (WFIS), Catholic, and Christian school networks—to educate the Governor’s office about the benefits of this program. Building this broad coalition ensures that the Governor will hear a strong, united message.

The Window Is Open—But Not Forever

The program begins in 2027, and governors must make their decisions before then. This is a rare opportunity we cannot afford to miss. Millions in future scholarship dollars for Jewish day schools are at stake.

It is important that everyone have clear information on what this program is and what it is not. Setting aside partisan politics, this bill offers clear benefits to the Jewish community in the form of scholarship money for kids who could otherwise not afford a Jewish day school education. This program does not cut public school budgets, and it is not a voucher. It is a federal tax credit that multiplies private donations, creates scholarships, and can also unlock new resources for public school tutoring, after-school programs, and more. It is vital that we share clear information and focus on the opportunity for students.

Please share this post with family, friends, and networks so more people in our community will have clear information about this federal tax change and why it will provide an important new source of funding for scholarships at local Jewish day schools.