The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (OU), the nation’s largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization, today called on Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf to immediately authorize the release of the approval letters relating to the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) program, which provide millions of dollars annually in scholarships for low- and middle-income families across Pennsylvania.

In the absence of a state budget, Governor Wolf has refused to authorize the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) to release the letters. If the approval letters are not released immediately, Jewish day schools and non-public schools throughout Pennsylvania are in danger of losing an entire year of EITC and OSTC funding. Representatives of the Orthodox Union and local Jewish day schools attended a rally last week outside the Governor’s Philadelphia office, where they called for the release of the tax credit letters.