Loeffler: Parents, Students Need a School Choice Lifeline

Press Release

U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, introduced the Choice for Every Child Act to give states the flexibility to send federal funds for low-income students and those with disabilities to the child's educational option of their choice.

"Parents who work and want to ensure their children receive a quality education need a lifeline," said Loeffler. "The Choice for Every Child Act will give families the opportunity to choose the educational option that fits their children's needs best, whether that means a private school offering in-person instruction, homeschooling or pooling together with other families to hire a tutor. Crucially, this is not just a temporary fix to help parents weather the pandemic - it is a long-term solution that will ensure future generations have access to the best education possible, regardless of zip code or income."

Background:

The Choice for Every Child Act will allow states to send federal funds for low-income students to the public or private school of the family's choice. Under this bill, states may also allow the federal funds to go directly to a child's parents to pay for tuition, books or tutoring. The legislation would also allow states to send federal funds for students with disabilities directly to their parents if they do not wish to attend their public school. In both cases, private schools that receive federal funds would not be subject to federal control over their operations and payments directly to families would not be taxable.

Loeffler is a cosponsor of a number of additional school choice proposals, including:

The Education Savings Accounts for Military Families Act of 2019 (S.695) to expand school choice options for military families;
The CHOICE Act (S.145) to expand school choice options in Washington, DC, students with disabilities and military families;
The School Choice Now Act (S.4284) to provide a tax credit and federal funds to education scholarship organizations;
The Student Empowerment Act (S.157) to expand uses for 529 savings accounts; and
The Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act (S.634) to provide a tax credit for contributions to education scholarship and workforce development organizations.
Loeffler hosted a telephone town hall last week with U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to discuss school choice and reopening schools, and Loeffler has called for expanded school choice as part of her USA Safe Families and Secure Futures Plan.

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