By Jenny Sved
I write this wearing two hats: as a Jewish day school parent and alumna, and as someone who advocates for affordable Jewish education through Teach PA. Teach PA is the Pennsylvania arm of Teach Coalition, a national advocacy group that works for equitable government funding, security resources, and tax credit scholarships to help ensure Jewish day schools and yeshivas remain safe, affordable and sustainable. For several years, the same issue has persisted in my local young professional Jewish community. The rising cost of Jewish day school tuition is affecting important family decisions.
For many of us, when we think about our Jewish identity and way of life, day school is non-negotiable. If our children can succeed in a Jewish day school, we will enroll them there, and we make sacrifices to prioritize the tuition. Even in communities like Lower Merion, with excellent public schools, this question is not up for debate.
Families speak openly about how tuition affects their finances and, at times, broader life choices, including how many children they feel they can afford to raise in Jewish schools. For some, the cost of education is also part of conversations about whether to remain in the United States or consider making aliyah. Day school affordability is not a marginal concern. It is one of the most important issues affecting Jewish life today.
Gov. Josh Shapiro now has an opportunity to help address this challenge by opting Pennsylvania into the new Federal Tax Credit Scholarship Program. Participation would not require new state spending, yet it could make a meaningful difference for families navigating the financial realities of Jewish day school education while bringing millions of dollars into local school communities.
Pennsylvania already has experience with programs like the Educational Improvement Tax Credit, which encourages private donations to scholarship organizations. The new federal program builds on that model and, for the first time, allows states to take part in a federal tax credit initiative that supports scholarships for families choosing public, charter, or nonpublic schools, including Jewish day schools. By bringing new education funding into Pennsylvania through federal tax credits, the program could expand options for families without drawing on existing state resources.
Under the federal law passed last summer, taxpayers will be able to claim a federal credit of up to $1,700 for contributions to qualified scholarship-granting organizations that support K-12 education. While federal agencies are still finalizing implementation details, the structure is designed to expand opportunity using private donations rather than new state spending.
Other states are already moving forward. In recent weeks, Gov. Ron DeSantis opted Florida into the program, and Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo did the same for his state. Both are places where Teach Coalition is active, and it is encouraging to see Jewish families there poised to benefit from additional educational support. States such as Virginia, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi and Montana have also formally opted in, and several others have expressed interest in participating.
What is especially notable about this program is that it does not fall neatly along traditional political lines. Support for nonpublic school funding has often been associated with Republican policy priorities, yet this federal tax credit model also aligns with goals that many Democratic leaders share, including expanding educational opportunity, helping working- and middle-class families, and strengthening communities without increasing state spending. That broader appeal matters because many states with large Jewish populations are led by Democratic governors, creating a real opportunity for bipartisan leadership on an issue that directly affects Jewish families.
This moment also calls for community engagement. Policies like this move forward when lawmakers hear directly from the families whose lives are shaped by these decisions. Parents, grandparents, alumni and supporters of Jewish education can help make clear that affordability is a priority by speaking up, sharing information and connecting with elected officials. Whether that means conversations with friends and neighbors, outreach to state leaders, or sharing personal experiences about the sacrifices families make to afford Jewish education, those voices carry real weight.
At a time when affordability is a defining issue in political conversations across the country, this program offers a practical way to expand educational resources without requiring new state spending or cutting existing priorities. If Pennsylvania chooses not to opt in, federal tax dollars paid by Pennsylvanians will still support this program, just in other states. That means families elsewhere could benefit while Pennsylvania families are left without the same opportunity.
Gov. Shapiro has the chance to ensure that Pennsylvania families benefit from a program they are already helping to fund. Choosing not to participate would mean leaving resources on the table and sending Pennsylvania dollars elsewhere. That is a missed opportunity our families and our schools cannot afford.
With a clear path forward and growing momentum nationwide, Pennsylvania can take a meaningful step to support Jewish education in a practical, responsible way. Doing so would not only help families today but also strengthen the long-term vitality of Jewish life by keeping day schools accessible, vibrant and sustainable for generations to come.
Jenny Sved, a resident of Bala Cynwyd, is the executive director of Teach PA.