Oklahoma receives nearly 30k Parental Choice Tax Credit applications in first week

Oklahoma’s new program that provides tax credits for parents whose children attend private schools has drawn slightly fewer applicants than originally reported, according to numbers released Tuesday by the Oklahoma Tax Commission.

Tax Commission spokeswoman Emily Haxton said that since the afternoon of Dec. 6, when what’s known as the Parental Choice Tax Credit program began applications, more than 18,000 taxpayers have submitted a little more than 29,600 applications.

Gov. Kevin Stitt said last week that “more than 30,000” applications had been received in the first 90 minutes of the submission period. Haxton said the difference in the numbers can be explained by the exclusion of duplicate submissions.

About 32,000 Oklahoma children attend private schools, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

The early rush of applicants was expected because of the way the Oklahoma tax-credit program is designed. Funding for the tax credits was capped by the state Legislature at $150 million this year, with the cap increasing by $50 million each year for another two years.

Under the program, families with a household income of under $75,000 are eligible for a $7,500-per-child credit and receive top priority. Next are families with income between $75,000 and $150,000, who can get a $7,000 credit; followed by those with income of $150,000 to $225,000, who can get $6,500; and those with an income of $225,000 to $250,000, who can get $6,000.

The number of applicants thus far has pleased lawmakers who helped shepherd the proposal through the Legislature earlier this year, said Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City. He’s said tweaking the current system is a goal in 2024.

“I am excited about the enthusiasm shown by the volume of parents who have applied for the program,” Treat said. “This will help kids get the proper education for their needs, while giving parents who wouldn’t have had the means to send their kids to a different school otherwise a say in their children’s education. I appreciate all the work the Tax Commission has put into this and look forward to improving the program in the upcoming legislative session.”

The deadline for applications is Dec. 31 of the year the educational expenses were incurred, or until the program’s annual cap is met, whichever comes first. If there are more applications than the appropriation will cover, families with lower annual incomes will receive first priority.

Given the number of applicants to this point, it’s possible the $150 million budgeted for the tax credits this year already has been exhausted, but the Tax Commission has not indicated that has yet happened.

Haxton said the number of calls into the tax credit’s help line “remain steady” with more than 4,000 inquiries about the program. She said call volume peaked on Nov. 30, which was the day before the program initially was set to launch before it was delayed, and peaked again on Dec. 6. She said the average call time on the help line is about 5½ minutes, with an average hold time of less than a minute.

Asked about a breakdown of the number of lower-income applicants versus ones with higher income and which private schools are listed on the applications, Haxton said the Tax Commission is “continuing to sort through this data and as soon as we have that level of detail,” it will be made public.“It is encouraging to see the number of parents taking advantage of this opportunity," Stitt said. "The demand for Oklahoma’s parental choice tax credit outpaced any other state’s school choice programs with nearly 30,000 applicants. I am confident competition will make all Oklahoma schools better and will empower our students to be the best in the nation. The Tax Commission did a phenomenal job ushering in this program. I look forward to finding ways for more students to participate going forward.”

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma gets 29k Parental Choice Tax Credit applications in first week