Lummis Bill Gives Parents Choice on Federal Mandates in Schools

Press Release

Today U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis (WY-At large) introduced legislation in response to the many federal mandates interfering with local public education, including President Obama's recent pronouncements regarding K-12 locker room and bathroom policies. The Local Education Freedom Act (LEFA) of 2016, supported by Rep. Mick Mulvaney (SC-05) and Rep. Matt Salmon (AZ-05) as original cosponsors, would support parental choice in whether to subject their children to federal education mandates.

"For too long Washington has been providing roughly 10% of funding for our public schools while imposing 100% of the overbearing federal mandates that undermine our local school boards and burden our teachers," said Rep. Lummis. "School systems have a choice as to whether they accept the federal mandates and parents should have the same choice. My bill would give parents that choice. If they object to any of Washington D.C.'s mandates they can take their kids and their education dollars elsewhere to get an education free from federal influence. Public education is not the problem; federal control of public education is the problem."

Summary of LEFA:

Would require states with local schools that implement federal mandates to provide education savings accounts for parents who disagree with any federal mandate that has been implemented.
Would require states to fund the education savings accounts at the average per-pupil expenditure of the state.
Would allow parents to use the funds to educate their child in a learning environment not subject to the federal mandate with which the parents disagree.

o Alternatives include public or charter schools that have not implemented the federal mandate, private schools, private tutors, distance learning programs, institutions of higher education, and home schooling.

Would NOT apply to states or school districts that do not implement federal mandates.

Source