In July of 2022 Act for America followed the Arizona State House Bill 2853, billed as the FIRST Universal School Choice law enacted in the United States, which expanded an existing ESA Education Savings Account to allow ALL school age children access to this ESA without restrictions or strings attached.
This bill allows parents to register for an ESA savings account valued at an estimated $7,000 a year, per student, that includes home school or religious private schools, has no limitations based on household incomes or zip codes, and zero government strings like state assessments and testing, as we’ve seen with other state school voucher and school choice legislation across the country.
This legislation is NOT a state government subsidy that would be directed to private schools, and it does not provide a pathway for government control and intrusion, as many critics fear.
For those that are homeschooling or utilizing independent micro-schools that are completely independent from government school programs, this legislation poses no threat to their already successful public school exit. However, for these families struggling to make ends meet in paying for curriculum or loss of income, when a parent has chosen to give up their job to stay home and educate their children, this legislation could make a tremendous difference in their household budget. If anything changes the nature and intent of this freedom of choice, parents could simply opt out of the savings account and return to their independent status.
Less than 1 in 10 Americans oppose School Choice, while 3 in 4 Americans support the policy.
Parents on both sides of the political fence are overwhelmingly advocating for School Choice. Conservatives have long believed school choice will lead to more religious freedom and reduce the government’s role in education. Should we not all advocate for a parent’s right to choose what’s best for their children?
Considering the warfare against our children, the priority must be implementing policy that immediately lifts the financial burden that is creating the obstacle for parents who LARGELY desire to exit public school now.
As we press ahead for a true, universal school choice legislation like Arizona HB2853, we must all remain engaged and vigilant to protect the nature and intent of this model legislation.
