This bill creates a new way to fund education by letting money follow students instead of staying tied to school districts. Here's how it works: families with household incomes up to 130% of the federal poverty line can apply to have federal education funding directed to wherever their child attends school—whether that's a public school, private school, or homeschool. Parents submit an annual application by April 30th with their income information and details about where their child will attend school the following year.

If a child attends public school, the money goes directly to that school. If they attend private school or homeschool, the funds get deposited into a 529 education savings account (a tax-advantaged education savings plan) that parents can use to pay for educational expenses. The amount of money each child receives depends on two things: how many low-income students are in their school district (ranging from $50 to $300 extra per year) and their family's income level. The bill also expands what 529 accounts can pay for—now including things like tutoring, test fees, curriculum materials, and therapy services for students with disabilities, not just college expenses.

The bill requires states to inform families eligible for food assistance or welfare programs about this opportunity, and it protects student privacy by limiting how the collected information can be used. Importantly, the bill includes language stating that this doesn't give the government control over private schools, and it doesn't prevent low-income students from still receiving free or reduced-price school lunches.

Children Have Opportunities in Classrooms Everywhere Act

Good, Bob

Children Have Opportunities in Classrooms Everywhere Act This bill allows tax-exempt distributions from qualified tuition programs (known as 529 plans) to be used for additional educational expenses in connection with elementary or secondary school. The bill also allows certain federal funds for elementary and secondary education to follow a student from a low-income household to the public school that the student attends or for tax-exempt educational expenses. Under current law, tax-exempt distributions in connection with elementary or secondary school are limited to tuition for a public, private, or religious school. The bill allows these distributions to be used additionally for <ul> <li>curriculum and curricular materials, </li> <li>books or other instructional materials, </li> <li>online educational materials, </li> <li>tutoring or educational classes outside the home, </li> <li>testing fees, </li> <li>fees for dual enrollment in an institution of higher education, and </li> <li>educational therapies for students with disabilities.</li> </ul> Distributions may also be used for tuition and the purposes above in connection with a home school (whether treated as a home school or a private school under state law). In addition, the bill directs state educational agencies to allocate grant funds to ensure the funding follows students to their public school or for other tax-exempt educational expenses outlined by the bill. Each state that carries out these allocations must establish a plan that allows the parent of an eligible child to apply for grant funds.