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Transparency bill for Education Freedom Scholarships fails amid privacy and scope debate
Summary
HB 1544 would have required the Department of Education to report de‑identified, disaggregated EFS data (county, LEA, school, income brackets and race/ethnicity). Sponsors said data would reveal acceptance rates and gaps; the bill failed on a 4–4 vote.
Representative Barrett introduced HB 1544 as a data‑transparency bill for the Education Freedom Scholarship (EFS) program, saying the Department of Education has not provided sufficient information on who receives scholarships and where gaps exist.
"The only thing that they have given us is the total number of applications," Representative Barrett said, arguing the requested, de‑identified data would show acceptance rates by county and school and reveal 'blind spots' in the program. He said the Department already collects much of the information and that a fiscal note was "not significant." He also emphasized the data would be aggregated and not disclose personal information.
Opponents voiced concern that the bill singled out one program and asked questions about whether similar reporting exists for ESA programs. Representative Bolso pushed back on the racial and ethnic breakdown request, asking why the General Assembly needed that level of detail; Barrett said the breakdowns would highlight potential disparities and prompt corrective action.
The clerk recorded a 4–4 tie and the subcommittee declined to advance HB 1544.
