Today, November 9th, 2021, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-02) introduced the Creating Hope and Opportunity for Individuals and Communities through Education (CHOICE) Act. This legislation would provide families with greater options with regards to their children’s education.
This legislation is the House companion to S. 74, introduced by Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC)in January.
“I left home to go to college at the age of sixteen to pursue the best educational opportunities available. The last year has shown us that students need to have the opportunity to succeed no matter where they live,” said Miller-Meeks. “The CHOICE Act will give families more options to give their children the best education possible. Senator Scott has always been a leading voice in fighting for equal access to quality education and I am proud to join him in this commonsense legislation.”
“As the product of a poor, single-parent household, I have always been a champion of school choice. And as the coronavirus pandemic has shown us, the need for educational options is more vital today than ever before,” said Scott. “The sad reality is too many students lack access to a quality education because of their zip code, and that is simply unacceptable. Commonsense solutions like my CHOICE Act will empower families to choose the best schools for their children and put parents in charge.”
Background:
The CHOICE Act would support parents by eliminating barriers to seek the information necessary to determine a best-fit school that can effectively serve their child’s needs. It would expand school choice programs by permitting states that have established programs for parents of disabled children to use public or private funds for the cost of their children attending a private school to supplement those funds with federal special education funds.
The legislation authorizes grants to support the design and initial implementation of state programs that allow the parents of a disabled child to choose the appropriate public or private school for their child. Finally, it would establish a five-year pilot program, within the Department of Defense, to award scholarships that enable military-dependent students, who live on military installations, to attend the public or private elementary or secondary schools their parents choose.
Original source can be found here
