Educational Freedom Accounts Act

Educational Freedom Accounts Act

This bill requires the District of Columbia to provide education savings accounts for children who are eligible to receive a free public education in the District, but whose parents choose not to enroll them in a public school or home schooling.

To receive an account, a child must be either entering kindergarten or prekindergarten or have been enrolled in a public school in the District during the previous year.

The Chief Financial Officer of the District must award a contract to a tax-exempt entity based in the District to administer the program.

The District must fund the accounts with amounts that are adjusted based on the family's income and range from 80% to 90% of the funds that the District of Columbia Public School System would otherwise spend on the child.

Upon the direction of a parent, the administering entity must distribute the funds for educational expenses, including:

• tuition at a nonpublic school or for distance education,
• tutoring,
• curricula or online courses,
• special education,
• individual courses or extracurricular activities at a public school within the District,
• dual credit courses that qualify for both secondary and postsecondary education credit,
• examinations,
• transportation to and from a provider,
• contributions to qualified tuition programs (529 plans) or Coverdell education savings accounts, or
• other educational expenses approved by the administering entity.

At the end of the contract period, any remaining balances must be returned to the District.