RALEIGH, N.C.  – A House panel has rejected a bill that would have given a $6,000 annual tax credit to North Carolina parents who put their special-needs children in private school.

The House Education Committee voted 26-21 on Tuesday against approving the measure.

Supporters such as GOP Rep. Paul Stam of Wake County said the tax credit would help families when the public schools can’t meet the needs of a child with disabilities.

Education groups representing teachers, school administrators and boards opposed the idea, saying it’s better to keep investing in public education to help these children.

Stam said the credits would actually save government millions of dollars overall for the public schools in the cost of teaching children.