WASHINGTON — Washington state still has not joined a new federal tax credit program tied to K-12 education funding.
The IRS said people who donate to scholarship granting organizations could receive a federal tax credit of up to $1,700. States have to choose to take part and submit a list of approved scholarship granting organizations to the IRS before taxpayers could claim it.
At least 30 states have joined the program, including Idaho. Gov. Bob Ferguson had not announced whether Washington would participate.
Scholarship granting organizations provided money to qualifying families for K-12 costs such as computers, tutoring, tuition or room and board.
The federal government decided which groups qualified based on rules that included how many schools received scholarships and how much of the organizations' money went to those awards.
According to The Spokesman-Review, state Superintendent Chris Reykdal wrote to Ferguson and urged him not to join the program. His letter raised concerns that the state would have no authority over the organizations or how they awarded scholarships.
Reykdal also wrote that the tax credit would not close school funding gaps and could lead to more cuts in...