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Lawmakers debate education savings accounts and school choice amid large projected cost
Summary
Rep. Scott Odenbach, House majority leader, said Republicans are pursuing education savings accounts this session and estimated one proposal could cost about $150 million a year, while Democrats warned the measures would divert funds from public schools and extracurricular programs.
Rep. Scott Odenbach, House majority leader, said Republicans are pressing proposals this session to create education savings accounts (ESAs) and other school‑choice measures and that one vehicle, HB 1020, would tie an ESA to the state per‑student funding amount. “Weare talking about a $150,000,000 annual impact from that bill,” Odenbach said, and he described provisions he said would include guardrails and either the Department of Education or a third‑party vendor administering roughly $3,000 per participating student.
Why it matters: Lawmakers framed the measures as both an expansion of parental choice and a possible long‑term tool to restrain property‑tax growth tied to school…
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