The Orthodox Union welcomed a pledge by presidential candidate Mitt Romney to allow low-income families to use federal dollars to send their children to parochial schools.

“Gov. Romney’s proposal to have federal education funds ‘follow the student,’ rather than become mired or diluted in a trickle-down process, is most commendable,” Yehuda Neuberger, the Orthodox umbrella body’s public policy chairman, said in a statement after Romney, the putative Republican presidential nominee, unveiled his proposal. “It will ensure that scarce federal education dollars more effectively support the educational needs of eligible children.”

In his May 23 address to the Latino Coalition’s annual economic summit in Washington, Romney said he would allow parents to use federal funds to place their children in private or parochial schools and in schools outside their geographical area.

A number of major Jewish organizations and the Reform movement have strongly opposed extending federal funds to parochial schools. — jta