Growth of 'Neovouchers' Sparks Debate Over Policies

At issue are tax credits for donations to support private school students.

Washington

Tax-credit-supported scholarships are fast outpacing vouchers as a state policy tool for promoting private school choice, the author of a new book on the topic said this week. Whether that growth is good news or bad depends on whom you ask.

Kevin G. Welner, an associate professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder who has written a new book on the topic, uses the term "neovouchers" to describe state policies that grant tax credits to individuals or businesses for donations they make to organizations that provide students with financial aid for private schools.

In remarks at a forum here last month in the nation's capital, Mr. Welner voiced concerns about...