FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 10, 2021
Contact: Press@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) reintroduced the Support Children Having Open Opportunities for Learning (SCHOOL) Act to provide parents and students with much-needed flexibility and options regarding K-12 education.

U.S. Representative Chip Roy (R-TX-21) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“I’ve led the effort to reopen our schools from the very beginning, and as we continue our push, it’s imperative that we empower parents to make the decision that’s best for their child’s education — without being restricted by the political games our governors and teachers’ unions have been playing with our children’s lives and well-being,” said Dr. Paul. “I have a bill to do exactly that – my SCHOOL Act would give parents and students a choice in education, and the tools to succeed no matter where they are learning.”

“Nearly one year after Americans were told we should take “two weeks to slow the spread,” too many children are still barred from attending school in person, while billions of dollars have been allocated to the very local authorities keeping schools closed. No more funding should be allocated to these local tyrants at the expense of our children’s futures. Parents should be in control of their child’s education, period, not politicians or union bosses. I’m proud to reintroduce The SCHOOL Act with Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) which allows federal funds for K-12 education to follow the eligible child, regardless of whether the child is in public school, private school, or homeschool,” said Rep. Roy.

“The past year put a spotlight on the main problem with K-12 education: a long-existing massive power imbalance between the public school monopoly and individual families. Reallocating existing education funding from buildings to students is a great step toward empowering families. Education funding is meant for educating children, not for protecting a particular institution. We should fund students instead of systems,” said Director of School Choice at Reason Foundation, Corey DeAngelis.

“Senator Paul understands, like so many Americans, that families deserve choice in how their children are educated, now more than ever. Any federal dollars spent on education should fund students, not systems; but certainly not schools that refuse to safely and smartly reopen,” said President of FreedomWorks, Adam Brandon. “His SCHOOL Act would go far in addressing the deep structural issue of ‘one-size-fits-all’ federal programs that fall short far too often, instead empowering families with true educational freedom and setting an example for states and localities to do the same.”

“Sen. Paul’s SCHOOL Act is an important school choice proposal that would allow federal K-12 funding to follow students rather than schools—which is especially critical while many schools remain closed. This proposal would put students first by giving them much-needed flexibility when navigating education options, during the pandemic and beyond,” said Vice President of Government Relations and Communications, Heritage Action for America, Garrett Bess.

“Directly empowering families, especially lower income and special needs families, to choose the best educational environment for their children is the way we will ensure educational opportunity for every child. We applaud Sen. Paul for introducing legislation that puts families and students first,” said President of American Federation for Children, John Schilling. 

The Support Children Having Open Opportunities for Learning Act would allow Federal funds for K-12 education to follow the eligible child, regardless of whether the child is in public school, private school, or homeschool. These funds could be used for a wide range of educational needs, including: curriculum materials, technological educational materials, and educational therapies for students with disabilities.

No matter what the learning landscape looks like moving forward, this bill empowers parents to put their children’s futures first.

You can read the SCHOOL Act HERE, and find more information below:

Dr. Rand Paul’s Support Children Having Open Opportunities for Learning (SCHOOL) Act

• Amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to allow certain funds authorized under those laws to follow a child, whether learning in person or remotely, to the public school, private school, or homeschool of the child’s choice.

• Allow those funds to be used for a range of needs, including:

◦    Curriculum materials

◦    Technological educational materials

◦    Tutoring

◦    Extracurricular activities

◦    Private school tuition

◦    Educational therapies for students with disabilities

• Ensure each child would receive the same amount of funding, regardless of where the child is enrolled.

• Ensure that no child choosing to take advantage of these opportunities would be precluded from a federally funded school food program.

• Protect non-public education providers from Federal and State control.

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