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Committee declines to advance bill that would require private schools to use a single statewide test and admit EFA-funded students
Summary
HB 1542, proposed by Representative Jim Wooten, would have required private schools to administer an annual statewide assessment and to admit any student who applies intending to use state funding; the committee debated reporting, testing heterogeneity across private schools, and admission rules before the motion to pass failed on a roll call.
The House Education Committee considered HB 1542, a proposal that would require private schools to administer an annual statewide student assessment and to admit any student who applies if the student intends to use state funding to attend the private school. After extended questioning and debate the committee did not adopt the bill.
Representative Jim Wooten, who presented the bill, said his concerns stemmed from difficulty parents and policymakers have in comparing private-school academic performance because private schools use a variety of different assessments. “When you use state tests you are comparing apples to apples,” Wooten said, arguing a single assessment would improve accountability for schools receiving public funds.
Committee members and Department of Education staff discussed reporting requirements for assessments administered to students on Education Freedom Accounts (EFAs). ADE staff said results for EFA students are reported to the department, and aggregated data are shared with the legislature when disclosure rules permit; in some cases small counts prevent public reporting. Committee members asked about admission rules proposed in the bill; sponsor language would require private schools that accept state funding to admit any student who applies and intends to use that funding.
Witnesses and committee members pointed to differences in private‑school practices—some schools use a variety of assessments and some have admissions criteria for specialized programs—and questioned whether the bill’s broad admission language would conflict with current practices. After debate the committee took a roll-call vote on the motion and the measure failed.
