Senate committee debates education savings account bill as supporters tout choice and critics warn of funding and accountability risks

Bismarck — The Senate Education Committee spent several hours hearing testimony on Senate Bill 2400, a bill to establish education savings accounts (ESAs) in North Dakota that would let families direct state‑authorized funds to approved educational goods and services via an online “marketplace.”

Senator Michelle Axeman, sponsor of SB 2400, told the committee the bill creates a three‑tiered program administered by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI). “The first year of the program would apply to all public school students. They would receive $1,000 to be used to select services tailored from an online marketplace to meet their individual needs or interests,” Axeman said. The second tier would apply to students who enroll in a participating nonpublic school and uses a means‑tested schedule: households at or below 200% of the federal poverty level would receive $4,000; households at or below 400% would receive $2,500; families above 400% would receive $1,000. A third tier for home‑educated students would provide $1,000 and link to existing homeschool statute requirements.

Axeman and supporters highlighted two unusual inclusions in the bill’s list of qualifying…