Legislative Affairs

  • 1.  School Choice Legislation

    Posted 02-21-2017 14:14
    Edited by ASBO USA 02-21-2017 14:14

    ASBOUSA recently noted there are new school choice/voucher bills in the works in the 115th Congress, and we have more information courtesy of the National Coalition for Public Education (NCPE). Please stay tuned to this thread for updates on their progress.

    • Enhancing Educational Opportunities for all Students Act - HR 716.
      • Would amend ESEA/ESSA to allow state educational agencies (SEAs) to allocate grant funds among local education agencies (LEAs) based on the number of eligible low-income children enrolled in public and private schools within each local jurisdiction. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: allow Coverdell education savings accounts (ESAs) to cover home school expenses; remove contribution caps to Coverdell ESAs; and allow 529 tuition programs to pay for PreK and K-12 education expenses.
    • Choices in Education Act of 2017 - HR 610.
      • Would repeal ESEA/ESSA and limit the Department of Education (ED) to only being able to award block grants to "qualified states." Establishes a federal voucher program, through which each state shall distribute block grant funds among LEAs based on the number of eligible children within each local jurisdiction. LEAs should distribute a portion of funds to parents who enroll their child in a private school or home school, and ensure funds will be used for appropriate education expenses. Qualified states must comply with education voucher program requirements, and make it lawful for parents to enroll their child in any of the state's public or private K-12 schools or home school their child.
         
    • Educational Opportunities Act - HR 895; S 148.
      • Would amend the Internal Revenue Code to allow taxpayers a tax credit for charitable contributions to a scholarship granting organization (SGO). Allows a maximum credit of $4,500 ($2,250 for married individual filing a separate return). SGOs are tax-exempt entities whose exclusive purpose is providing scholarships for tuition/other expenses of low-income K-12 students. Also allows a tax credit for corporate taxpayers up to $100,000 for similar contributions, and imposes a penalty on SGOs that fail to distribute 90% of their receipts for K-12 expenses in a taxable year.
      • This bill had previously received Betsy DeVos' support, and the Trump administration is seriously considering this approach.


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    ASBO USA
    asbousa@asbointl.org
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  • 2.  RE: School Choice Legislation

    Posted 03-17-2017 10:15
    Edited by ASBO USA 03-17-2017 10:15

    Over the past few weeks, the Trump administration has been vocal about advancing its school choice agenda, so please see updates regarding this policy area below. 

    • President Trump released his “skinny budget” this week, which makes recommendations to support school choice programs by:
      • Investing $1.4 billion in programs that will ramp up to $20 billion annually over time. This includes:
        • +$168 million for charter schools;
        • +$250 million for a new private school choice program;
        • +$1 billion extra in Title I funding on the condition that it is portable, or “dedicated to encouraging districts to adopt a system of student-based budgeting and open enrollment that enables Federal, State, and local funding to follow the student to the public school of his or her choice.”

    • The Trump administration is still considering a federal tax credit/scholarship program which could be included in tax reform legislation later this year.

    • The Washington, D.C., private school voucher program bill (the SOAR Reauthorization Act) has been introduced to the 115th Congress as R. 1387. It was marked up/passed by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee last week, and is expected to go to the House for a full vote soon. (Other school choice legislation that we have been monitoring: H.R. 716, H.R. 610, H.R. 895, and S. 148 have not made any progress since our prior alert.)


    As we monitor and report on these bills/initiatives, please feel free to read these resources to learn more about the school choice debate and what bills are in play.

    1. NPR primer on charter schools and how they operate and are funded.
    2. Huffington Post guest blog on what vouchers can and can’t actually do.
    3. Brookings Institute primer on Title I portability and how it would affect local districts.
    4. Education Commission of the States 50-State Comparison report on voucher programs.


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    ASBO USA
    asbousa@asbointl.org
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  • 3.  RE: School Choice Legislation

    Posted 03-20-2017 14:40
      |   view attached

    As noted last week, the bill that would reauthorize the Washington, D.C. private school voucher program (SOAR, or H.R.1387) is on its way to the House for a full vote. Many public education advocates are concerned that if the bill passes, it could become a blueprint for the new administration to advance an education privatization agenda on a national scale.

    If you would like to advocate on this issue, please see the attached letter template, which you can edit and send to your representatives to express opposition for the D.C. voucher program. For more updates on school choice legislation including HR 1387, please stay tuned to this thread.



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    ASBO USA
    asbousa@asbointl.org
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