Stop this new Federal voucher program before it gets started.
We need you to stand up for public schools. Right now there are two voucher bills, both referred to as the Military Education Savings Accounts Act (HR 5199 / S. 2517) in the House and the Senate. Both bills would siphon off the Impact Aid public school districts get in order to fund an Education Savings Account (ESA) program that would allow some students to use a voucher to attend a private school.
This bill will move quickly so send your email here today. Then please call your Senators and your House Member and let them know you are opposed to HR 5199 and S. 2517.
What is Impact Aid and which schools get it?
Impact Aid helps fund school districts that lose tax revenue because their district includes federally tax-exempt land such as military bases, Native American reservations, national parks or federal housing. As of 2016, Impact Aid provided funding for about 1,300 school districts that in total educate more than 11 million students.
Reducing Impact Aid funding for public schools would strain districts with an already low level of local tax revenue–districts where the community already pays higher taxes because of untaxed federal land.
Would this program help most military families?
No.
Most military families are not wealthy enough to use it. The ESA they would get would be $2,500 although the average price of a year of private elementary school is $7,770, and the average annual cost of private high school is $13,030.
The National Military Family Association has already opposed this proposal to divert Impact Aid from schools that educate military-connected students and the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) has expressed similar concerns.
The men and women who serve our country deserve excellent public schools for their children–not schools that are drained of funds by those wealthy enough to afford private school already.
STOP THIS DE VOS-SUPPORTED VOUCHER SCHEME.
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