HB2275, the SCHOOL Act of 2025, would require federal K-12 education funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to “follow the student” rather than remain tied only to public school systems. For eligible children ages 5 to 17, the bill directs state educational agencies to allocate funds based on enrollment and to provide funds directly to students attending private school or home school through education savings accounts. The bill applies this structure to federal funds under ESEA titles I, III, IV, V, and VI, and to IDEA funds for students with disabilities.
The bill specifies that these funds could be used for a broad range of educational expenses, including curriculum, books, technology, online materials, tutoring, extracurricular activities, testing fees, diagnostic tools, private school tuition, and therapies for students with disabilities. States would have to create annual notification and data-collection systems so parents or guardians identify where the child will attend school, and the collected information would be used only to calculate and distribute funds. The bill also includes rules stating that participation in school lunch programs is not affected and that the measure does not authorize federal or state control over non-public education providers.
If enacted, the bill would significantly alter the administration of federal K-12 education aid by redirecting portions of federal formula funding away from exclusively district-based allocations and toward portable student-based funding, including direct aid to private school and home school families. It would amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to add new sections requiring states to distribute funds in equal amounts per eligible child, with local educational agencies receiving funds for public school students and education savings accounts used for private and home school students. The bill would also affect state education agencies, local school districts, private schools, home schools, and families of students with disabilities by creating new reporting, allocation, and allowable-use rules, while preserving existing school lunch eligibility and limiting government control over non-public providers.
Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears to reflect a strong school-choice and parental-control approach to education funding. The bill’s structure and findings language suggest support for portability of federal education dollars across public, private, and home-school settings, as well as for students with disabilities. No committee transcript or vote record is available in the provided context, so there is no documented legislative debate or recorded vote sentiment to indicate broader support or opposition at this stage.
The main points of contention likely center on whether federal education funds should be portable to private schools and home schools, and whether education savings accounts should be used for private school tuition and other nonpublic expenses. Supporters would likely emphasize parental choice, flexibility, and individualized services, especially for students with disabilities, while opponents may argue the bill diverts resources from public schools, complicates administration, and raises accountability concerns for non-public spending. Another potential issue is federalism: the bill repeatedly conditions implementation on what is permitted under state law, which may create uneven adoption across states and invite disputes over state versus federal authority.