Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958 or Brenda Pérez (212) 788 - 3256
Starting in September of 1997, the Foundation will begin providing underprivileged children with three-year scholarships of up to $1,400 to any private school recognized by New York State. Hundreds of private elementary schools, including Lutheran, Catholic, African-American, Yeshiva and independent schools, will serve the program’s students.
“This is the day when we put the children first -- ahead of the system and ahead of bureaucracy,” the Mayor said. “Education is not about Boards of Education or about public school systems or parochial school systems. Education is about children and giving the children the opportunity to succeed. We must have the courage to support his program and other efforts which benefit our children, and the courage to oppose those that don’t. We have begun to make substantial improvements to our public school system with programs like Project Read, Project Smart Schools and our investment in a full arts curriculum.
“We have taken many necessary steps to replace a culture of unaccountability with a culture of performance. And one of the best ways to accomplish this is through honest, fair and decent competition, which this new initiative will foster. I hope to see this exciting program expand to include many more children and I encourage the private and corporate sectors to continue to develop and expand this initiative,” the Mayor concluded.
To be eligible for the program, a child must currently be attending a New York City public school; be entering grade one through five in September 1997, and qualify for the federal free-lunch program. Scholarship recipients will be selected by lottery on May 12, with priority given to children in New York City’s lowest performing public schools.The scholarship may be used at any participating New York State-recognized private school, religious or non-sectarian. Each family will determine the school that suits the needs of their child.
The $1,400 scholarship will cover the majority of the tuition at hundreds of private schools. Parents can cover the remainder of the tuition with their own resources, with donations from churches or neighborhood organizations, and with financial aid from the participating schools. Some schools with tuition above the $1,400 level have already committed to offering additional financial assistance to families of the students receiving the scholarship.
Scholarship applications can be obtained by calling toll-free, 1 888- KIDS LEARN. The application deadline is April 25, 1997.