Hundreds of Staten Island parents and students packed a rally to push for a tax credit they hope will make it easier to send their kids to private schools. NY1's Amanda Farinacci filed the following report.

Denesha Newman has five children. They all attend Catholic school on Staten Island with help from the Inner City Scholarship Fund.  

"Right now, my son is actually in his last year, getting ready to go into high school, so it's a big deal for me," Newman said

Newman said she'd like to send her son to a Catholic high school as well but can't afford to without a scholarship. That's why her family was among some 1,500 people at a rally Thursday night in support of the Education Investment Tax Credit. 

The proposed bill would let people take care of part of their tax debt by donating it to charities that give scholarships for students to attend religious and private high schools. 

"A tax credit is a very powerful product," said parent Antonia Sciretta. "You get dollar for dollar off your taxes." 

Public high school students stand to benefit, too. That's because the money could also be used for things like not-for-profit art or music programming offered in a public school setting. Teachers could also be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses and classroom projects.

"It should have been an obvious thing years ago, and it's so unfortunate that it's taken this long to come to this point," said Nicole Fresca, principal of St. Rita's School.

The current bill is tied to a vote for the Dream Act, something legislators fear could impede its passage.

"When you have a majority of members support something, it should become law. We should not tie it to legislation that does not enjoy majority support," said state Senator Andrew Lanza of Staten Island.

Lanza said he's hoping the governor allows each bill to be voted on separately. 

Last year, the tax credit never made it to the Assembly floor for a vote.

Supporters are asking parents to continue to rally for the cause by texting "invest" to 313131. 

If you'd like more information about the bill, go to investined.org