Earlier this morning, Alabama officially became the 11th state with universal education freedom following Governor Ivey’s signature on HB 129. The legislation, titled the Creating Hope and Opportunity for Our Students’ Act, creates an education freedom account program that all students will be able to apply for by 2027. The bill was championed by Governor Ivey as her signature priority for the legislative session and was led through the legislature by Representative Danny Garrett and Senator Arthur Orr.

The new education freedom account program will be available to families with a household income below 300% of the federal poverty level in 2025 and 2026. In 2027 and beyond, the program will open to all students in the state. Families will be able to access up to $7,000 for qualifying educational expenses like tuition, testing fees, therapies for students with special needs, textbooks, and more.  Families that choose to homeschool can receive up to $2,000 for qualifying educational expenses per student up to a maximum of $4,000 per year.

The Education Freedom Alliance featured the Yellowhammer State as a top target for 2024. In ALEC’s 2023 Index of State Education Freedom, Alabama ranked 22nd among the states for its education freedom environment. With passage of HB 129, Alabama is poised to become one of the top 10 states for education freedom in the 2024 edition and joins 10 other states that have passed universal education freedom programs since 2021 (West Virginia, Arizona, Iowa, Arkansas, Utah, North Carolina, Indiana, Ohio, Florida, and Oklahoma). Several other states including Louisiana, Tennessee, and Missouri are also considering universal education freedom bills this year.

Voters and lawmakers around the country continue to send the message loud and clear – all students and families deserve the ability access the learning environment that will best serve them whether that school be public, private, charter, virtual, home-based, or something else.  Thanks to the efforts of Governor Ivey and state legislators, all Alabama families will soon be able to make this decision for themselves and put every student in the best position to succeed.

This article appeared in Forbes.

Mike McShane, National Research Director at EdChoice, sets the record straight on a recent fraud scandal in Arizona that has been used to attack Education Savings Accounts (ESAs).

Last week, a grand jury indicted five former employees of the Arizona Department of Education for defrauding the state of at least $600,000. According to the Arizona Republic, they are accused of using fake birth certificates and other falsified documents to create “ghost students” in the state’s education savings account program and then pocketing the funding that those fake students were due to receive.

Unfortunately, fraud in education is not new. Back in 2021, Dr. Angela Denise Birdwell of the Higley school district in Gilbert, Arizona, was indicted on 18 counts of fraud for accepting kickbacks from building contractors. In that same year, both a superintendent and an employee of the Arizona Department of Education were indicted on felony charges for stealing federal grant money. In 2022, the former superintendent and another employee of the Toltec school district were indicted on a host of charges including falsely inflating their benefits from the state retirement system and fronting unauthorized loans to themselves. And remember, this is just in Arizona and in the past few years.

....

Fraud is an unfortunate part of any government program. People would get fired up if someone committing food stamp fraud was used as a reason to question the legitimacy of food stamps in general. It is the same thing with an ESA program.

Tens of thousands of Arizona families are utilizing the ESA program to find better options for their children. To call into question that program because of some ill-intentioned staffers at the state department of education is inappropriate and wrong.

Read the full article.

This op-ed originally appeared in The Wall Street Journal.

Former Oklahoma State Representative Tom Newell of EFA coalition partner yes. every kid. explained why rural Republicans should embrace school choice to ensure benefits for its students.

Seminole, Okla.

Republicans around the country have made great strides on education freedom in recent years. But in some states—especially Texas, Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama—rural Republican politicians have been an obstacle to progress. They’re worried about the politics and the practicality of school choice, but I’m here to tell them they have nothing to worry about and everything to gain.

I was elected to the Oklahoma House in 2010. My district, centered in Seminole County, is mostly rural, with about 38,000 residents. When I was first elected, we had 14 school systems, most of which enrolled a few hundred students. Public schools provide a common local identity in rural communities. Their sports teams—especially football and basketball in Oklahoma—are a particular source of pride. People don’t want to weaken their local school.

...

Fourteen years after I ran for office, I’m more convinced than ever that school choice is the right policy for rural communities. In fact, I now believe school choice is an antidote to rural decline. In the era of remote work, the lack of educational options keeps families who might otherwise prefer to live in a rural area from moving out of the big city. Every rural Republican wants his district to thrive. Their best bet, by far, is to back education freedom for all.

Mr. Newell, a former Oklahoma state representative, is vice president of government affairs at yes. every kid.

This op-ed originally appeared in The Washington Times

Crystal Bonham of The Heritage Foundation writes in this latest op-ed for The Washington Times about the benefits Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) can have for military families to help their children with their education.

Americans cherish the freedom to choose where we live and seek work, so the dedication of military families, facing frequent moves, stands out as an exceptional commitment to service.

Yet this commitment often exacts a toll on the education opportunities for their children — a sacrifice that demands our attention.

...

This account would then be made available to parents to purchase textbooks, hire a tutor, pay private school tuition, etc., for their children. It’s the least we can do for those who safeguard us daily.

Acknowledging the sacrifices of military families is not enough; action is paramount. While organizations such as SEALKIDS stand in the gap, offering service members the chance to challenge their children and meet their students’ needs, ESAs would empower military families to thrive while they are dedicated to serving our nation.

It’s time to turn gratitude into action and give the children in all military families a great education.

Crystal Bonham is the senior communications adviser in the president’s office of The Heritage Foundation.

To further the cause, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the Committee to Unleash Prosperity and the Job Creators Network, along with other conservative groups including the Heritage Foundation and Americans for Prosperity, announced the formation of the Education Freedom Alliance last month.

The group's goal is to achieve universal school choice in half the states by the end of next year. Andrew Handel, ALEC's education task force director, spoke with Governing about that target and what's driving the big push for choice.

Governing: What made ALEC decide to launch the Education Freedom Alliance?

Andrew Handel: The education freedom movement has been making incremental progress [in recent years], but then it just completely accelerated once the pandemic hit. I think parents got a closer look at what their kids were being taught. Maybe they didn't agree with the content that was being taught or they thought their child wasn't being pushed enough. Parents got involved after the pandemic, and this movement has just turned into a freight train. The Education Freedom Alliance shows a unified front, and we're excited to just help state policymakers and give them the resources that they need to help students and families around the country.

So many public schools obviously shifted on to Zoom once the pandemic hit, and while that was a necessary step in the beginning, Zoom was never meant to be a learning platform. On top of that, teachers weren’t being given the training they needed to teach effectively. Parents saw that and started asking questions about what other options they had and realized that, in a lot of these states, they didn’t have access to other options for education. That led to them really reaching out to their policymakers and encouraging them to get more programs in place for them.

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Governing: How will the Education Freedom Alliance work on getting broader access for all parents?

Handel: Here at ALEC, we have our Index of State Education Freedom and we’re happy to walk policymakers through what we’re seeing in other states and offer them the tools and resources to make education freedom happen. Most importantly, we want to be a resource on behalf of students and families, letting them know that this is something that their constituents want as well.

Read the full interview here.

Unleash Prosperity Hotline #951

We mentioned in previous weeks that the race is on in 2024 for several remaining red and purple states to adopt and expand school choice programs. We predicted Georgia, Louisiana or Texas would be the next dominoes to fall, following in the footsteps of the 10 states that made major school choice expansions last year.

But now Missouri is suddenly in play.

Last week state Senator Andrew Koenig — who runs the education committee — announced he is moving a bill that would allow parents to get reimbursed by the state through a tax credit for all expenses related to attending an alternative school outside their district. His bill would also expand money for charter schools. The bill could transfer $1 billion to alternative school options.

St. Louis has long suffered some of the worst inner-city schools in the nation - despite billions of dollars spent.

“The days are gone of us relying on the old-guard talking point that traditional public school is the only way to go and it’s the only thing that the government’s ever going to support or put in front of parents,” says Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden. We will keep you posted on their progress.

This op-ed originally appeared in Florida Daily.

In education, no one size fits all. That’s why Florida must do everything possible to ensure that every learning option is available to every family. Even if families choose an option – like online learning – that didn’t exist a generation or two ago.

Last year, Florida led a surge among states in launching or expanding education savings accounts (ESAs). With ESAs, funds follow students, and parents are empowered to choose schools they believe are best for their children. Florida’s new law expanded the Family Empowerment Scholarship (FES) programs to all students, granting parents the ability to utilize these accounts for their children’s private school tuition, homeschooling, or other education-related expenses.

This led to an influx of new families using scholarship funds and exercising school choice, many for the first time ever. The FES program saw an impressive 30 percent increase since the previous school year, with over 85,000 new students enrolling for the 2023-24 academic year.

Yet, while Florida’s new law expanded opportunities for many families, there was a notable exclusion, which became apparent shortly after the bill was passed. The law prevented scholarship funds from being used for full-time or blended private virtual schools. In effect, the state’s school choice law inadvertently blocked parents from choosing this one school choice model.

Prohibiting private virtual schools from participating in the scholarship program was explained as a drafting error in the original construction of the bill. It was seen as a simple fix for lawmakers – and one that could easily be resolved this legislative session – however, to date, the problem has yet to be addressed.

Florida is a state known for pioneering digital learning in its K-12 public school system. Through public charter schools and school districts – and the nation’s largest state-run program, Florida Virtual School – over 40,000 students are currently enrolled in full-time public virtual schools. Yet this same option remains excluded for private school families.

This exclusion in Florida’s law stands in stark contrast with other states that have passed ESAs. Arizona, West Virginia, Arkansas, and Iowa all permit families to use their funds for the widest range of educational options, including private virtual schools.

State and national education reform groups have taken notice and are calling for action. In January, a coalition of prominent organizations – American Federation for Children, Americans for Prosperity, EdChoice, ALEC Action, Florida Parents for School Options, Heritage Action, The James Madison Institute, yes. every kid, and Teach Florida – sent a letter to Florida legislators asking them to fix Florida’s ESA law.

In recent weeks, several parents passionately voiced their concerns at legislative hearings in Tallahassee. They urged their elected representatives to amend the law and give private school families the same access to virtual school options that are available in public schools.

Unfortunately, still no action has been taken by the Legislature on this important issue.

At The James Madison Institute and Associated Industries of Florida, we strongly believe in affording parents maximum flexibility in choosing the educational path that best aligns with their children’s needs. Whether it is a traditional public or private school, charter school, parochial school, full-time virtual school, or homeschool, we stand for equal access to all education options. And we stand for the right of parents to direct the education and welfare of their children.

At its core, education is about empowerment – empowering students to pursue their passions, empowering parents to make choices that align with their values, and giving equal access to all educational models, whether provided through public schools or private schools.

Florida legislators should do what is right for families and amend the law to make full-time and blended private virtual schools eligible for scholarship funds. It’s a small and simple fix, but one that will go a long way to enshrining Florida as America’s leader in educational freedom.

Dr. Robert McClure is the president and CEO of The James Madison Institute in Tallahassee, Florida. 

Brewster B. Bevis is the president and CEO of Associated Industries of Florida (AIF).

Press release:

MONTGOMERY – Governor Kay Ivey on Tuesday declared during her state of the state address that passing her education savings account (ESA) bill is her top legislative priority. The Creating Hope & Opportunity for Our Students’ Education (CHOOSE) Act sponsors and education budget chairmen, Senator Arthur Orr and Representative Danny Garrett, filed the bill today.

“Passing an education savings account bill that works for families and for Alabama is my number one legislative priority, and I am proud to have our education budget chairmen, Senator Arthur Orr and Representative Danny Garrett, carry the CHOOSE Act,” said Governor Ivey.

The CHOOSE Act program would provide up to $7,000 per child enrolled at an accredited, participating private or public school through an education savings account funded by a new refundable income tax credit. Additionally, families who opt for homeschooling could receive up to $2,000 per homeschooler, with a $4,000 cap for families with more than one homeschooler, for eligible educational expenses. As the governor outlined during her state of the state address, families would begin to participate in the program during the 2025-2026 academic year. Year to year, the program would prioritize students with unique needs, participating students and their siblings for enrollment.

View the full press release.

This op-ed originally appeared in The Daily Signal.

Florida long has been a pioneer in providing families with education freedom and choice. It was among the first states to enact both tax-credit scholarships and education savings accounts, and to expand those options to every K–12 student in the state.

With 350,000 students participating in the state’s K–12 scholarship policies, Florida has both the most total students and most students per capita in the nation benefiting from education choice. Accordingly, Florida deservedly ranked first in the nation on The Heritage Foundation’s Education Freedom Report Card for the past two years in a row.

That’s why it’s so disappointing to see the Sunshine State on the verge of taking a step backward.

The Florida Legislature is considering a bill, HB 1403/SB 7048, which attempts to fix some issues with the state’s education savings accounts, known locally as Family Empowerment Scholarships. Unfortunately, not only do the proposed changes not go far enough to address those issues, but the proposal also would add new regulations that make education savings accounts, or ESAs, less flexible for homeschoolers.

As I explained last year, there were drafting errors in the bill that expanded eligibility for the ESAs to all K-12 students. The flawed language prevented ESA students from being able to choose religiously affiliated providers of virtual learning. It also defined “eligible private school” in a way that limited the ability of parents to choose “blended learning” programs that combine or alternate between in-person and virtual instruction, as well as “hybrid homeschooling” that alternates between in-person instruction and home education.

Advocates of education freedom and choice were hopeful that the Florida Legislature would fix the issues, in keeping with its commitment to education freedom and choice. Regrettably, that hasn’t happened. As I observed recently:

A broad coalition of advocacy organizations, including Heritage Action for America, has asked the Legislature to address these issues. Although the amended version of HB 1403 attempts to address the first of these issues, it does not go far enough to alleviate the latter. (Heritage Action for America is the grassroots action arm of The Heritage Foundation, for which The Daily Signal is the news outlet.)HB 1403 still requires that participating private schools “[m]aintain a physical location in the state at which each student has regular and direct contact with teachers.” The amended version clarifies that the “regular and direct contact with teachers” requirement is satisfied if ESA students physically attend a private school “at least two school days per week,” which would allow hybrid homeschooling. However, the bill would still limit the ability of ESA families to choose full-time virtual instruction or blended learning offered by private schools that have brick-and-mortar locations.

Even worse, the proposal would curtail the freedom and flexibility that ESA families now enjoy to customize their children’s education.

In response to bad-faith arguments by school choice opponents who raised baseless concerns about how parents might spend their ESA funds, Florida policymakers now are considering unnecessary restrictions on the categories of eligible expenditures. The proposal would limit spending on “equipment used as instructional materials” only for “subjects in language arts and reading, mathematics, social studies, and science.”

As William Mattox, director of the J. Stanley Marshall Center for Educational Options at The James Madison Institute recently explained, that would prohibit “all equipment expenses for art, music, physical education, foreign languages and various elective courses.”

Mattox continues:

In other words, [ESA] families would no longer be able to use their scholarship money for easels, paints, modeling clay, musical instruments, kickballs, basketballs, and many other items commonly found in public schools. These new restrictions would come down even though [ESA] students cost the Florida taxpayer less than public school students. And even though home-school students typically receive their primary instruction from an ‘unpaid volunteer’ (Mom).

It’s understandable that policymakers want to avoid waste, fraud, and abuse, but ensuring appropriate accountability for taxpayer dollars need not come at the expense of flexibility for families.

Arizona has a similar ESA policy, and the state auditor general’s most recent report found an improper payment rate of less than 0.001%. That’s leaps and bounds better than other government programs.

Indeed, a 2019 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that “the school meals programs have reported high improper payment error rates, as high as almost 16% for the National School Lunch Program and almost 23% for the School Breakfast Program over the past four years.” 

But for opponents of school choice, the real scandal is what ESA families can buy. They’re afraid that if families have the freedom to customize their child’s education, they might just decide that they’d rather do that rather than enroll their child in the one-size-fits-some school to which they are assigned.

Since school choice opponents have failed to eliminate education savings accounts, now they’re trying to make the program less flexible and therefore less attractive for families. Policymakers who support education freedom shouldn’t go along with them.

Art, music, and physical education are important components of a holistic education. That’s why they’re a part of the curriculum in public schools. Public schools have a legitimate interest in purchasing art supplies, musical instruments, and sports equipment to facilitate their students’ art, music, and physical education. The same goes for ESA families.

If Florida wants to continue to be a leader in education freedom, it must reverse this folly. Instead, Florida policymakers should ensure that homeschooling families using education savings accounts continue to have freedom and flexibility to choose the learning options that work best for their children.

Jason Bedrick is a research fellow with The Heritage Foundation's Center for Education Policy.

Today marks the beginning of 2024’s National School Choice Week – an opportunity to highlight parental choice, encourage states to adopt education freedom, and celebrate those who have created new and expanded existing programs to all. Twenty-two different Governors have proclaimed this week as “National School Choice Week” in their states, and there will be more than 27,000 events across all 50 states to celebrate education freedom.

2023 was a monumental year for education freedom, with eight different states (Iowa, Utah, Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, Indiana, and Oklahoma) passing universally available education freedom programs. These efforts now mean that 12.5 million students across the country can access a program that will help them attend whatever high-quality school is the best fit for them. Every student, regardless of income, race, gender, geography, or any other factor, deserves access to a high-quality education that best fits their learning needs.

Lawmakers across the country are continuing to explore ways to put parents in charge of their student’s education, and we’re excited to see what 2024 holds for millions of families around the country who are waiting for education freedom to come to their states. A few of the most significant program creations are listed below.

Iowa’s Students First Scholarship Program

During National School Choice Week last year, Governor Reynolds signed legislation into law that created the Students First Scholarship program. The program will gradually expand eligibility and eventually be available to all students by FY2026. Participating students can receive a scholarship equal in value to the state cost per pupil plus an annual growth factor.

Utah Fits All Scholarship Program

Also signed into law during 2023’s National School Choice Week, the Utah Fits All Scholarship program provides an $8,000 scholarship to participating students. Though all students can apply to participate in the program, certain groups of students are prioritized over others. The legislature capped the program with an appropriation of $42,500,000, so just over 5,000 students can use the program.

 Arkansas’ Children’s Educational Freedom Account Program

The most significant piece of enacted education-freedom legislation from 2023 was the Arkansas LEARNS Act. The bill, championed by Governor Sanders, eliminated the growth cap on charter schools, raised teacher pay, created literacy coaching positions for K-3 students, and created the Arkansas’ Children’s Education Freedom Account Program. This new program offers all families in the state 90% of the state funds that would have been spent to teach their child in public school.

Florida’s Family Empowerment Scholarship Program

Florida has traditionally been regarded as the leading state for education freedom, and lawmakers responded to the positive developments across the country by expanding their own Family Empowerment Scholarship program to all students in the state. Thanks to these efforts, all Florida families can obtain a scholarship equal to what the state would have spent to teach their child in public school.

Andrew Handel, ALEC Education and Workforce Development Task Force Director, sat down with Lars Dalseide, ALEC Director of Policy Advancement and Media Relations, talking about the recent model policies passed by the task force such as education freedom accounts, adult learning programs, and preserving freedom of speech. Handel also talked about building upon the education freedom movement based on ALEC’s Essential Policy Solutions for 2024.

The biggest thing is this continuing trend of maximizing education freedom across the states. We had a huge 2023 where a number of different states not only passed new education freedom account programs, which allow parents to spend state education dollars in the best manner for their child but created these programs for every single student in the state regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, household income. We're really excited to see that and we think there's going to be continuing momentum there in 2024.There's a lot of cautious optimism about a universal education freedom account program. We've seen a number of other states that are having those discussions. We are really excited for it. We think 2024 is going to be a big year.

For workforce development, Handel highlighted the focus on technical schools and potential career paths offered with adult learning programs.

There's a lot of emphasis from our public sector members on creating new pathways to career in technical schools. Across the nation, no matter what state you're in, there's all of these skilled workforce areas like mechanics and welders, and these employers just can't find enough applicants or qualified applicants rather to fill these roles. There's definitely a push among legislators to make sure that high schoolers are aware of these other post-secondary options and to offer more pathways towards these certifications and help those employers fill those roles.

Listen to the full interview here.

This op-ed originally appeared in The Georgia Star News.

In his recent State of the State address, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp strongly endorsed Georgia’s education freedom legislation, which offers disadvantaged Georgians the same quality education as everyone else. “Our job is not to decide for every family but to support them in making the best [education] choice for their child,” said Kemp. “That is what we were elected to do.”

Senate Bill 233, the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act, establishes education freedom accounts (EFAs) of $6,500 annually for families who choose better education alternatives. Eligibility is limited to families whose children attend the worst 25% of schools statewide. Parents can use the funds for any educational expense, including tuition, fees, books, tutoring, and transportation. This bill should be the legislature’s top priority in 2024.

According to the latest federal data, only 21% of black and 23% of Hispanic fourth graders in Georgia can read proficiently. In some state schools, this figure drops into the single digits. This is scandalous. Research shows that students who can’t read proficiently by fourth grade are more likely to struggle academically and drop out because proficient reading is the foundation for learning almost anything. Unsurprisingly, low literacy rates are also associated with higher poverty and crime.

Almost every child has the capacity to read proficiently. Schools that cannot teach these skills to the majority of their students should face competition from those that can. Yet under the status quo, children are condemned to learning loss merely because of their zip code. EFAs offer a lifeline to these poor kids trapped in failing public schools. They give them the opportunity to learn to read, succeed, and reach their full potential.

I should know. I was one of them. Escaping my failing school district for a good school allowed me to learn the skills to succeed at the highest levels of corporate America and as a small business owner. Everyone deserves this opportunity.

Other states have recently implemented or expanded EFAs to the benefit of their students. Last year, Florida introduced universal school choice for all students and has seen a surge in demand from families. Nearly half of Florida students attend a school other than the one closest to them. Arizona, Arkansas, Iowa, Utah, and West Virginia also offer universal EFAs.

After passing in the state senate, Georgia’s education freedom legislation was narrowly defeated in the House last year, with 16 House Republicans from rural districts voting against it. They claim education freedom drains resources from rural public schools. Yet this concern is unfounded. Rural school districts have remained robust in states like Arizona which have had education freedom for decades. Quality schools have nothing to worry about.

Teachers unions are desperate to retain their monopoly on students and the associated hundreds of millions of dollars of annual dues payments, so they are funding activist groups to oppose education freedom. Their message is pretty tired and lame: education freedom is racist.

For example, the teachers union-funded Partnership for the Future of Learning claims, “The history of [education freedom] is rooted in segregation.” That’s ridiculous. Education freedom in some states dates to the post-Civil War period, yet widescale education freedom didn’t come until the 1990s and 2000s.

In reality, education freedom reduces segregation by allowing disproportionately black and brown students to escape their failing neighborhood schools. By offering every student the right to a good education, education freedom is the civil rights issue of our time. It takes some gall and desperation to claim it’s racist.

Mesha Mainor, a Black Democratic member of Georgia’s House of Representatives who voted in favor of SB 233, explains how education freedom is anti-racist in the truest sense of the word. “I have the most charter schools within my district in the entire state because poor Black parents want something different, and they deserve it… I refuse to tell these parents that the Democratic agenda does not care how broke parents are and that these children deserve to stay in that school with 3% reading proficiency. Are we going to keep telling these families to wait and see if we can get it right in the next 50 years?”

The Georgia State House should respond to Mainor’s question with a resounding “no” and usher in EFAs this year.

Alfredo Ortiz is president and CEO of Job Creators Network, author of “The Real Race Revolutionaries,” and co-host of the Main Street Matters podcast.

Unleash Prosperity Hotline #938 – Weekend Edition

Given that we swept through the states in 2023 with nearly a dozen major school choice victories, we’re not the least surprised that the evil empire of Teachers Unions and deep-pocketed leftist funders are amassing a war chest to fund a smear campaign against school choice.

You won't believe this, but they are saying scholarships to help poor kids get out of failing public schools are... racist.  And – you’ll love this – a “threat to democracy.”

We love the line that “public education guarantees students and families certain rights and protections.”  

Wait. We’re confused. Doesn’t every child have a “right” to a high-quality (or even a half-decent) education?

In a recent webinar, ALEC CEO Lisa B. Nelson and Education and Workforce Development Task Force Director Andrew Handel introduced ALEC’s brand new publication, the ALEC Index of State Education Freedom: A 50-State Guide to Parental Empowerment. They were joined by Economist Stephen Moore and ALEC Board Member and West Virginia Senator Patricia Rucker to discuss this year’s historic education freedom movement and the ongoing efforts to spread universal education freedom policies to 25 states by 2025.

Watch the full panel here.

Read the full report here.

By Andrew Handel

Yesterday, the Texas Legislature convened for a special session called by Governor Greg Abbott. The Governor’s call lists several items for lawmakers to consider, including “legislation providing education savings accounts for all Texas schoolchildren.” If passed, a universal Texas education savings account (ESA) program would easily be the largest in the country with an estimated 5,000,000+ children eligible to participate.

In ALEC’s newly released 2023 Index of State Education Freedom, Texas ranked 21st in the country and earned a “C” letter grade. The state earned no points in the funding and financing category as there are currently no programs that provide financial assistance to families looking for alternative educational options for their students. If Texas had a universal ESA in place at the time of the rankings, they would have vaulted from the middle of the pack into the #6 spot.

Senator Brandon Creighton, who chairs the Senate’s Education Committee, filed SB 1 at the beginning of the special session. SB 1 would create the universal ESA program called for by the Governor and provide $8,000 to each student participating in the program. Funds could be used for a wide variety of educational expenses, including tuition and fees at a private school, school uniforms, testing fees, therapies for students with special needs, and more.

Senator Creighton also introduced SB 2, which provides a pay raise for teachers, increases the per-student basic allotment in the state’s public-school funding formula, and provides funds for improving school security. In total, the bill proposed $400 million for school safety purposes and $796,500,000 for teacher pay raises and enhancements to the state’s public school funding formula. The money comes from the state’s general revenue surplus, which is one of the largest in the country thanks to the state’s superior fiscal policies.

If SB 1 is passed into law, Texas would become the 11th state with universal education freedom and the 9th state to pass such a program in 2023 alone. Policymakers looking to keep pace with these states can consult ALEC’s Hope Scholarship Act, which offers a template for creating a universal ESA program.

By Andrew Handel

A recent article in the Tampa Bay Times took aim at Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida’s education savings account (ESA) program – but completely missed the mark. The author of the story reviewed a purchasing guide from Step Up for Students (the nonprofit organization that administers Florida’s ESA) and wrote that funds could potentially be spent by families on 55” TVs, theme parks, and other expenses. The implication is that such expenses could be a waste of taxpayer money. But the reporter didn’t tell the whole story – not even close.

Evidence Shows that Families Rarely Misspend ESA Funds

The Tampa Bay Times article says, “Some Florida activists raised concerns that the state could run into problems like Arizona faced, when its auditor general found education savings accounts being misspent on unauthorized items.”

What the reporter fails to note is that the 2018 report identified 900 transactions totaling more than $700,000 of waste – which equally implies that 99% of ESA spending was not wasted, according to the Goldwater Institute. The article also failed to mention a follow-up report from the auditor general in 2020 that found wasteful spending for that program had fallen to an astounding 0.001%.

A wasteful spending rate of 0.001% is far below the wasteful public school spending we read about every day. There’s the Massachusetts school principal who took $40,000 in school funds to pay for luxury vacations, a Colorado school principal who embezzled more than $100,000 from the school district, and more than $500,000 worth of questionable expenses by multiple employees within the Montgomery County, Maryland public school district’s transportation department.

What the Tampa Bay Times article also failed to explain is that Florida carefully considers the educational implications for the individual student before approving any expense. The article notes, for example, that Florida historically has not approved requests to purchase theme park tickets but was convinced to change the policy: “A student with severe developmental disabilities might better focus when stimulated by the sights and sounds, for example, or a home-school family may incorporate ‘all the different history and culture lessons available at Disney World,’ such as art and music festivals.”

When Families Use an ESA, Public Schools Still Retain a Significant Portion of Funds

Florida’s ESA program, like all ESA programs, only diverts the state portion of funding that would have otherwise been spent to teaching the participating students in their local public school. Currently, Florida spends an average of about $10,401 per public school student, but the average ESA award is $7,800. This means that, on average, when a family uses this program, the public school that they leave still receives $2,601 for the former student.

This means higher ESA program participation rate actually increases the per-pupil spending for students still attending in Florida’s public schools.

Start Thinking About Education in Terms of Students, not Systems

America has long embraced a one-size-fits-all educational approach that prioritizes systems over individual students. The results are clear: 4th and 8th grade reading and math scores are at their lowest levels in 20 years, 33% of 3rd graders can’t read at their grade level, and less than half of US adults can name all three branches of government. These statistics exemplify why so many states are reimagining education through the use of ESAs.

Learning can and should be a highly personalized experience that takes the form of the individual student being taught. Families who believe their local public school is the best option are free to continue sending their children to those public schools, but we can’t forget about the kids who could achieve more if allowed to attend a private school, virtual school, home school, or charter school. Whatever the environment, families should be free to choose the platform that best fits their student’s needs.

It’s time that America stops prioritizing educational systems over students and families. All students – regardless of their income, zip code, disability status, or any other factor – should be allowed access to the schools that is the best fit for them. Policies like Florida’s universal ESA program makes that access a reality.

Original version available on Heritage.org.

Summary

Data analysis from the past decade reveals that tuition inflation was lower in states that adopted school choice policies (about 15 percent, on average) than in states without school choice (about 28 percent, on average). Moreover, among states that adopted school choice, inflation-adjusted tuition rates decreased after adoption of school choice. Contrary to the claims made by critics, states that adopted school choice had lower private-elementary-school tuition increases, and no discernable change in private-high-school tuition rates.

Key Takeaways

1. Critics contend that school choice will inflate private school tuition similar to how student loans and grants have led to increases in the cost of higher education.
2. Analysis of 10 years of private school tuition finds that states with school choice policies have lower rates of tuition increases than states without such policies.
3. Statistical analysis of all states shows that school choice reduces elementary school tuition and has no significant effect on tuition inflation overall.

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2023 has been another massive success for American students and families as more states implement programs designed to empower parents and provide more choice in education. In all, 8 different states have now implemented universal school choice programs, including 6 this year alone. With these programs in place, more than 12,500,000 American students will have access to some form of education freedom – close to 23% of all students in the country. This number has increased exponentially since the beginning of COVID and is sure to continue rising as even more states pass significant school choice programs in 2024.

Earlier this year, ALEC published our Essential Policy Solutions for 2023, which highlighted the expansion of universal education savings accounts (ESAs) as a top issue for lawmakers. Many of the policies we now see being implemented across the country closely mirror the recommendations in this publication as well as our Hope Scholarship Act, which offers lawmakers a template to bring universal ESAs to their state.

With so much action happening this year, it may have been difficult to keep track of all these huge developments. Below is a summary of the most significant new programs that were passed into law this year and what they will do.

Iowa

During National School Choice Week, Iowa became the first state in 2023 to pass a universal education scholarship account (ESA) program thanks to the leadership of Governor Kim Reynolds, Speaker Pro Tem John Wills, and Senator Amy Sinclair. Once fully implemented, the program allows 100% of state funding to follow the student and is open to any family wishing to participate. The program is already proving to be a massive success, receiving over 10,000 applications within the first 72 hours of the application window opening.

Utah

Utah was the second state this year to pass a universal ESA, called the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program. Any student can apply for an $8,000 scholarship, but the legislature appropriated a fixed amount of $42,500,000 for the program’s first year, effectively limiting the maximum program participation to about 5,000 students.

Arkansas

Led by newly-elected Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the Arkansas legislature passed the Literacy, Empowerment, Accountability, Readiness, Networking, and School Safety (LEARNS) Act. LEARNS was the most comprehensive education package passed in 2023, and not only creates a new universal ESA program, but also provides resources aimed at improving early-childhood literacy and solidifying parental rights. School choice opponents quickly filed a lawsuit, and the state is currently prohibited from implementing the LEARNS Act until the Arkansas Supreme Court can issue a final ruling on its constitutionality. Opponents have also started a petition drive to force the legislation to a vote of the people.

Florida

Florida continues to wear the school-choice crown, as it also passed two universal ESA programs this year. One program, the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options, is funded through the state’s education formula, while the other, the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program, is funded through corporate contributions in exchange for a tax credit. Both programs allow 100% of state education dollars to follow all students in the state.

 Nebraska

Senator Lou Ann Linehan, ALEC’s Nebraska State Chair, successfully carried LB 753 across the finish line this year. The bill creates the Opportunity Scholarship Tax-Credit Scholarship Program, the state’s first ever school-choice program. Students can apply if they are entering kindergarten or 9th grade for the first time. They can also apply if they are entering another grade and attended their public school for the duration of the previous academic year. Scholarships are prioritized for low-income students and those with special needs, and the tax-credit cap for the first year is set at $25 million. Opponents of the program have started a petition drive aimed at forcing the program to a vote of the people and potentially preventing it from taking effect, though it isn’t clear if they will be able to gather the required signatures in time.

 South Carolina

South Carolina passed its first ESA program that will be eventually be available to families with a household income below 400% of the federal poverty level. Scholarships are initially capped at 5,000 per year but this figure increases to 15,000 by the 2026-2027 school year. Each scholarship award will be $6,000.

Indiana

Indiana passed a significant expansion of the state’s voucher program, lifting the maximum amount of household income required to participate to 400% of the federal free-or-reduced-price-lunch level ($222,000 for a family of 4). This means that 97% of the state’s students will be able to participate – making the program available to nearly every student in the state. On average, scholarship awards are roughly $5,439.

Montana

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed HB 393 into law, which creates the Montana Special Needs Equal Opportunity Education Savings Account Program. The ESA is limited to students with special needs and only allows 10% of state funding to follow the student, but still represents a small step toward helping the state’s special needs students are given the best opportunity to succeed.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma became the first state in the country to pass an ESA-like refundable tax-credit program. While a traditional ESA allows families to use their account balance to make approved educational purchases, Oklahoma will allow these families to submit those receipts on their tax return and receive a credit of up to $7,500. The legislature also made the credit universal and fully refundable so all families can take advantage of it.

ALEC CEO Lisa B. Nelson co-authored a guest column in The San Bernardino American with National Education Advisor Michelle Harvey, highlighting the benefits of education freedom.

For decades, parents have fought to provide education freedom for their children. The District of Columbia Opportunity Scholarship Program, passed in 2003, provided a glimmer of hope. The movement to pass a D.C. scholarship program was led by a mother, Virginia Walden Ford, who wanted a brighter future for her son. Twenty years later, six states — West Virginia, Arizona, Iowa, Utah, Arkansas, and Florida — have passed significant legislation that empowers every family with education scholarship accounts.

With funding in place, students are now positioned for unprecedented success. West Virginia, a state historically at the bottom of education success ratings, has emerged as a national leader in education freedom. Families may apply for a Hope Scholarship of $4,300 per eligible student and use the funds for a wide variety of educational expenses like tuition, testing fees, tutoring services, school uniforms, and more. They make a difference because they address the most basic of needs.

First, they provide parents with more control over their student’s education. If a parent’s standards aren’t being met, they are empowered to make a change. The scholarships also allow students to choose the environment that best fits their learning style. Not every child learns at the same pace with the same lessons under the same methods. And finally, these scholarships will open doors for families who previously could not afford private schools. In a word, they offer choice.

Read the full column here.

Florida has long been a national leader in education freedom, boasting massive programs like the Florida Tax-Credit Scholarship Program and the FES program, each of which distributes north of $500,000,000 worth of scholarships on an annual basis. However, both of these programs were restricted to low-income students, and their funds could only be used for tuition at a private school. Once the changes in HB 1 take effect, however, families will be able to use these scholarships on a wider variety of educational expenses like textbooks, testing fees, specialized therapies for students with special needs, tutoring services, and more.

The bill marks the largest expansion of education freedom anywhere in the country, with nearly 3.25 million students now eligible to participate. Florida joins Iowa, Utah, and Arkansas as the fourth state this year to enact legislation creating a universally available education freedom program. These four states join West Virginia and Arizona, which also passed such programs in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

Momentum to reimagine American education has been growing steadily over the past two years, with 2023 representing an inflection point. States are not just looking to create new programs but to create new programs that are available to every student and family regardless of their income, disability status, geography, or any other factor. With Governor DeSantis signing HB 1 into law, 2023 continues to be a record-breaking year in American education in which education dollars no longer go directly to school systems but instead follow students to whatever educational environment is best for them.