Governor signs private- and home-school tax credit bill, one of his top priorities.

Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a private- and home-school tax credit bill Thursday, securing the first major legislative victory of his second term and delivering on his post-pandemic promise to significantly expand school choice options across Oklahoma.

The tax credit plan is part of a package that includes $125 million for school facilities and $500 million in new public school funding, half going to teacher pay raises. But it was the $150 million tax credit that was celebrated most by the governor and school choice advocates who gathered for the bill signing ceremony at the state Capitol.

“I think it’s one of the most historic things we can do,” said Stitt, a Republican, speaking at Thursday’s ceremony as dozens of children stood — and bounced — at his side.

“I think all boats are going to rise now that we’ve injected some of this competition in the (education) system.”

More: The mediator and the wonks: How an elusive education deal happened in the Oklahoma Legislature

What to know about the new private school tax credits in Oklahoma

Beginning next year, families with children in private K-12 schools will receive refundable tax credits ranging from $5,000 to $7,500 per student, depending on household income. Home-school families would qualify for a $1,000 refundable tax credit per child.

Stitt opposed private-school vouchers during his first campaign in 2018, but changed that stance during the coronavirus pandemic. He railed against school districts that kept buildings closed, saying private schools should be an option for all students "trapped" in virtual classrooms or low-performing schools.

The governor was unsuccessful in getting lawmakers to pass a private-school funding plan last legislative session, but he made the issue a centerpiece of his 2022 reelection campaign.

Following a double-digit election win in November, Stitt said he had a mandate to try again.

This year’s tax credit plan, along with the larger education funding package, was no sure thing as the House and Senate debated over the final proposals. Stitt began vetoing Senate bills in an effort to move them towards his plan and hosted negotiating sessions in the Governor’s Mansion.

But Stitt said he was determined to expand school choice, which he saw as a way to improve academic performance, recruit businesses and help the most in-need children.

More: Oklahoma lawmakers could have struck education deal sooner, House speaker says

“When I was governor-elect (in 2018), I wasn’t even sworn in, and we went off-site and brought in consultants to start working on how do we change to make Oklahoma top 10,” Stitt said Thursday. “School choice was the top of that list, to make sure we are empowering parents and giving more school options.”

Stitt originally had wanted a tax credit without any income caps or requirements. The final version sets a $150 million budget in 2024, with families making less than $150,000 getting first preference.

But families making more than $250,000 are still eligible to receive $5,000 per student and the tax credit budget increases to $250 million by 2026.

Opposition to private school funding says they lack transparency, does little to help small, rural towns

Supporters of tax dollars for private-school tuition have consistently put the focus on parents, saying they should have the ability to choose the school that best fits their needs. Some of the nation’s largest conservative organizations, including Americans for Prosperity and the Heritage Foundation, have worked to market the effort as a grassroots movement.

Lobbyists, activists and private-school leaders who have pushed for school choice policies for decades attended Thursday’s bill signing ceremony. They cheered as Stitt signed the bill, using multiple pens that he passed out to children around him.

Opponents of school vouchers say it lacks transparency and doesn’t help all children since private schools can select who to admit.

Earlier: Oklahoma Legislature reaches deal on school funding, teacher pay and tax credits

Opposition in rural communities, which in Oklahoma are represented almost entirely by Republicans, also has criticized vouchers as doing little to help small towns that lack private school options.

But wrapping the tax credit bill into a package with increased public school funding was meant to please the House’s rural base.

Both Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, and House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, attended Thursday's ceremony.

State Superintendent Ryan Walters, who also ran last year on a pledge to advocate for more school choice, said the Oklahoma State Department of Education would soon be providing resources to parents to help them navigate the new tax credit and search for private schools.

“We are rolling out a lot of initiatives to make sure parents can see the schools around them, see how the schools are performing, but also how they can apply, what is the process,” Walters told The Oklahoman after Thursday's ceremony. “We want to make sure that every parent, no matter their background, no matter their resources has the ability to access the best school for them.”

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Gov. Kevin Stitt signs school choice bill, calling it 'historic'