JOHNSTOWN AREA PRESCHOOL BENEFITING FROM TAX CREDIT


JOHNSTOWN, March 1, 2005 – The Little Learning Lamp Preschool will be able to provide more scholarship opportunities for needy children, with the help of Pennsylvania’s new Pre-Kindergarten Tax Credit program, according to state Sen. John N. Wozniak.

     Authorized in the General Assembly last year, the Pre-Kindergarten Tax Credit gives in-state businesses a tax break for donations to approved preschools and preschool scholarship organizations. Businesses donating up to $10,000 will receive a 100-percent reduction in state taxes, while businesses donating above $10,000, up to the maximum of $100,000, will receive a 90-percent reduction.

     Wozniak (D-Cambria/Clinton/Centre/Clearfield/Somerset) worked with Bravo Foundation of Harrisburg to identify The Little Learning Lamp Preschool as a potential recipient of business donations.

     “Thanks to a generous $20,000 business donation, more children will be able to attend The Little Learning Lamp and get a solid start on their education,” Wozniak said.

     “The Pre-Kindergarten Tax Credit is a great initiative for three reasons: It helps those families whose income sits just above Head Start guidelines, but who still can’t afford a quality preschool. It gets local businesses involved in the communities they serve. And it lets the businesses choose where their tax dollars are spent.”

     The Little Learning Lamp Preschool, located in Richland Township, is a literacy-based school that will enroll 30 children for the 2005-2006 school year.

     Leah Spangler, executive director of The Learning Lamp, said, “Because of Senator Wozniak’s efforts and the generosity of the Bravo Foundation and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, families experiencing financial hardship will be able to send a child to our preschool for as little as $15 a month.”

     The General Assembly has authorized $5 million annually for Pre-Kindergarten Tax Credits. More than $3 million of the funding remains for the 2004-2005 fiscal year.

     Scholarships are granted to Pennsylvania families with at least one child enrolled in a pre-kindergarten program, and who is at least three years old. Eligible families must have a household income of $50,000 or less. For each additional dependent living in the same household, an income allowance of $10,000 is available.

     Businesses interested in participating in the Pre-Kindergarten Tax Credit can access program information and the one-page application at www.senator-wozniak.com. For questions about the Tax Credit, contact Wozniak’s Johnstown District Office at: (814) 266-2277.
State Sen. John N. Wozniak participates in a check presentation of $20,000 to the families of Cambria County for scholarship opportunities at the Little Learning Lamp Preschool in Richland Township. The funds were donated by Enterprise Rent-A-Car through the Pennsylvania Pre-Kindergarten Tax Credit Program.


Above: Little Learning Lamp Preschool teacher Amy Coleman and daughter Emma; Peter Gleason, Bravo Educational Foundation; Dr. Lorraine Nulton, president of The Learning Lamp; Tom Farmar, group recruiting manager for Enterprise Rent-A-Car; Senator Wozniak; Joe Gerdes, Bravo Educational Foundation; and Kevin Wain, area manager for Enterprise Rent-A-Car.


Above: Pictured (from left): Peter Gleason, Bravo Educational Foundation; Dr. Lorraine Nulton, president of The Learning Lamp; John O’Connell, executive vice president of the Bravo Group; Joe Gerdes, Bravo Educational Foundation; and Senator Wozniak.