SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KTIV) -
Sending their kids to a public, or private, school is a decision many parents have to make.
But, one local foundation can make that choice a little easier for parents wrestling with a way to pay tuition at a private, or parochial, school.
Iowa governor Terry Branstad was in Sioux City to honor the Monsignor Lafferty Tuition Foundation.
Created in 2006, the foundation supports families, who struggle to pay school tuition.
It's relies on gifts from Iowa taxpayers, who get to deduct a portion of the gift from their taxes.
In the last six years, over 12,000 students in the Diocese of Sioux City's 17 catholic school systems have received more than nine-million dollars in tuition assistance.
It's something the governor fully supports.
Gov. Terry Branstad, (R) Iowa said, "This is a program where people get a 65 percent state tax credit for contributing to this foundation and then the money goes to provide scholarships for kids with financial needs to go to these schools. It's been a great program, I'm really proud to support it both individually and as governor."
Parents, who pay tuition to send their kids to an Iowa school also get a tax deduction.
But, it's small by comparison... just 250 dollars of the first 1,000 dollars they pay.
Dan Ryan, Superintendent of Schools of the Diocese of Sioux City said, "One of the issues he advocated for early on in his first tenure as governor was the return of some tax credit dollars, a percentage on the first thousand dollars spent. And that's been a real benefit to many of our families to help afford. And it's something that we would like to see increase in the future or other programs to possibly assist families in having a choice in education."
Tonight's event was held on what would have been the 100th birthday of Dr. Milton Friedman.
Throughout his life the Nobel prize-winner championed "school choice".
