The Education Freedom Tax Credit is such a windfall for Colorado schoolchildren that both a Republican Congress and our own Democratic governor support it. 

Created in Washington last summer and made available to all states that opt in, the federal tax credit is a game changer. It covers charitable donations to nonprofit scholarship organizations that help pay the cost of schooling for K-12 students of modest means. The scholarships can be used for a range of education expenses, from tutoring to private-school tuition.

In other words, it stands to be groundbreaking for some of our state’s neediest kids — kids who deserve a better education and a brighter future but are trapped in underperforming or even failing neighborhood schools.

That’s why Gov. Jared Polis has embraced the new policy. As a founder of two public charter schools, Polis is a longtime advocate of providing more schooling options and greater educational opportunity of Colorado’s kids, especially for families that can’t afford it. 

The federally funded tax credit, which takes effect starting next year, is a win-win. It enhances options and opportunity for Colorado’s kids at no cost to the state’s strapped budget.

So, of course, the state’s largest teachers union — which would rather see kids languish in mediocre schools than opt out for a better education — is trying to sabotage the new policy. 

The Colorado Education Association is backing a bill now afoot in the legislature to undermine Colorado’s ability to participate.

House Bill 26-1292 purports to ensure no children who seek to benefit from a scholarship funded by the tax credit face discrimination. In reality, as noted in a commentary last week in Colorado Politics by the chief of a scholarship organization and the head of a state association representing private schools, the true aim of the bill is more devious.

“HB-1292 would impose new regulations related to admissions and hiring at private schools that go far beyond those required by current state or federal law,” write Norton Rainey and Weston Kurz. “These regulations are extensive and would, in many cases, require faith-based schools to violate their sincerely held religious beliefs.”

The two point out the bill also creates requirements for special needs services that would break most private schools’ modest budgets.

The upshot?

“The vast majority of private schools in Colorado would find themselves stuck between the choice of surrendering their First Amendment rights and assuming potentially catastrophic financial liabilities, or forgoing participation in a promising federal program specifically designed to help students access new educational options — public or private,” write Rainey and Kurz. “In practice, this means most private schools in Colorado would be effectively excluded from participation in the program.”

Which is just what the union wants — kids’ best interests be damned.

HB 26-1292 was introduced recently in the state House by state Rep. Lori Goldstein, D-Westminster, a former president of Adams County School District 12’s local teachers union who was appointed to fill a Senate vacancy just this past January. The bill is sponsored in the state Senate by two familiar water bearers for the union, Democratic state Sens. Cathy Kipp of Fort Collins and Janice Marchman, of Loveland.

The good news is the governor is cold to the legislation. His spokesman told education news service Chalkbeat Colorado that Polis, “is concerned that HB26-1292 would hamstring the state’s ability to bring new funding for much-needed services like afterschool programming and tutoring for all students across the state.”

The bill is scheduled for its first hearing March 26 in the House Education Committee. The committee ought to quash this kid-crushing bill — so the governor doesn’t have to.