Many families are following the proposed Education Savings Account (ESA) legislation that will make the equivalent of state funding available for use at private schools, online classes, textbooks and curricula, and certain homeschool expenses. Enrollment would be available to new homeschooling children and is optional. The bill has continued to progress; here’s an update.
You can continue to follow the ESA bill at School Choice for NH’s website and Facebook page as well as the Facebook page, ESAs for NH.
ESAs Create More Opportunities
Over the last several months we have continued to work on the Education Savings Account (ESA) bill, SB 193, which was retained by the House Education Committee. A subcommittee met multiple times and must present a decision to the entire committee by early November before the legislature resumes business in early 2018.
Much like health savings accounts, Education Savings Accounts are restricted-use accounts that parents can use for approved educational purposes. The accounts are funded with a portion of the state funds allocated for a particular child’s education at his or her district school. Six states currently offer some type of ESA and each one has different approved uses, eligibility qualifications, administration processes, accountability mechanisms, and funding sources. The two most established programs are in Florida and Arizona. The one in Arizona has been modified over the years to be more inclusive, called a “universal ESA,” and that is the sort NH is proposing.
Read more at School Choice for NH.
