Authorizes the use of moneys in Missouri empowerment scholarship accounts for driver education purposes
HB1221 repeals and reenacts Missouri’s empowerment scholarship account statute, section 166.705, to govern how funds in Missouri empowerment scholarship accounts may be used. The bill allows parents of qualified students to establish an account through an educational assistance organization and use deposited funds for a broad range of education-related expenses, including private school tuition and fees, textbooks, tutoring, therapies, curriculum, virtual school tuition, testing fees, public school services, technology, summer and after-school programs, transportation, and up to $1,000 for driver education instruction, training, and testing.
The bill also sets eligibility and program rules. A student must enroll in a qualified school and receive instruction in core subjects, and generally may not be enrolled in the student’s resident district public school or a charter school in that district while participating. The bill states that participation satisfies compulsory attendance requirements, makes accounts renewable annually, and provides that unused funds may remain in the account from year to year. It also requires account closure and return of remaining funds to the educational assistance organization if a student leaves the program or is disqualified, with funds redistributed to other qualified students. The bill further excludes certain uses, such as consumable supplies, out-of-state private school tuition, and payments to close relatives, and specifies that program funds are not Missouri taxable income to the parent.
HB1221 would amend Missouri law governing empowerment scholarship accounts by expressly authorizing driver education expenses and restating the allowable and prohibited uses of account funds. It would affect section 166.705 and related provisions in sections 166.700 to 166.720, while also reinforcing that participation in the program satisfies compulsory attendance requirements under section 167.031. The bill would continue to shift educational responsibility back to the resident school district if a student exits the program, and it would preserve the tax treatment that these scholarship funds are not counted as Missouri taxable income to the parent.
Based on the bill text and caption, the measure appears generally supportive of school choice and expanded flexibility for families using empowerment scholarship accounts. The specific addition of driver education suggests a practical, student-centered expansion of allowable expenses rather than a major structural overhaul. No committee transcript or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of floor or committee sentiment beyond the bill’s pro-program framing.
The main policy tension is likely over the scope of public funds that can be used for private educational expenses, including tuition, tutoring, therapies, technology, transportation, and now driver education. Potential critics may focus on the diversion of funds from public schools, the exclusion of students enrolled in their resident district public school or local charter school, and the use of public money for private or nontraditional education providers. Supporters are likely to emphasize parental choice, flexibility, and the ability to tailor educational spending to a student’s needs, including the new driver education allowance.