HR 5181119th CongressIntroduced

SOAR Act Improvements Act

Introduced: Sep 8, 2025

Technology & Innovation

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The SOAR Act Improvements Act (H.R. 5181) would revise the District of Columbia’s Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act (SOAR) program, which provides school-choice scholarships to DC students. The bill broadens grant duration, broadens the geographic area for eligibility of governing board members, updates accreditation requirements, expands allowable uses of funds (including pre-kindergarten and tutoring), increases funding for tutoring, updates testing and evaluation processes with greater involvement from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), updates reporting requirements, and extends the program’s authorization of appropriations through fiscal year 2032. Overall, it aims to improve continuity, oversight, and program outcomes while expanding access to additional educational supports.

Key Points

1Grant duration and renewals
2- Grants under SOAR could be renewed for up to 5 additional years without a new competitive process if the Secretary finds it appropriate to maintain continuity.
3Applications and eligibility changes
4- School admissions processes funded by the program must not interfere with a school’s regular admissions standards if they would otherwise be disrupted.
5- The residency requirement for eligible entity board members expands from the District of Columbia to the “Washington metropolitan region.”
6- The Washington metropolitan region includes DC, parts of Maryland (Montgomery and Prince George’s counties) and Virginia (Arlington, Fairfax counties; and the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church).
7Accreditation requirements
8- Participating schools (as of enactment) must be recognized by a national or regional accrediting body, or by an accrediting body designated by ICE’s SEVP (Student and Exchange Visitor Program).
9- Non-participating schools must achieve full accreditation by such bodies within 5 years after beginning the pursuit of participation.
10- A provision removing a completed report requirement is also streamlined.
11Use of funds and program scope
12- Funds can be used to cover pre-kindergarten (not just kindergarten) costs.
13- Eligible entities may set a maximum scholarship amount lower than the statutory cap if they choose.
14- Adds a new category: tutoring and other student academic assistance, with priority given to students who previously attended the lowest-performing DC schools.
15- Increases the annual tutoring/academic assistance funding from $2,000,000 to $2,200,000.
16- Removes a completed study subparagraph; reorganizes related subsections.
17Standardized testing
18- Aligns testing provisions with IES administration and allows use of a nationally norm-referenced standardized test for program evaluation.
19Evaluations
20- Evaluations must be conducted in partnership with IES, with public reports issued by January 1, 2027 and every 7 years thereafter.
21- Evaluations must be rigorous and publicly disseminated, detailing the program’s impact on academic progress and educational attainment.
22- IES evaluation would focus on participating students (grades 3-8) and expand to consider high school outcomes, college enrollment/persistence/ graduation, school safety, and related measures; certain older or redundant subpoints are updated or removed.
23- The new evaluation provisions take effect for evaluations conducted after a two-year look-back period from enactment.
24Reports by grant recipients
25- The content and structure of annual or periodic reports to Congress/DOE are updated to include incidents of school violence, suspensions, and expulsions, among other changes.
26Authorization of appropriations
27- The program’s authorizations are extended through fiscal year 2032.
28- The statute’s funding allocations are adjusted (certain line items’ share increases; specific breakdowns reference shifting proportions among categories).

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- DC students and families who participate in or seek to participate in the SOAR scholarship program, including those targeting pre-kindergarten options and tutoring support.- DC charter and public schools (and other eligible participating schools) that participate in or interact with the SOAR program.Secondary group/area affected- Eligible educational entities (the boards and organizations administering scholarships) within the Washington metropolitan region (DC and nearby parts of MD and VA).- Accrediting bodies and evaluators (including the Institute of Education Sciences) involved in accreditation recognition and program evaluation.Additional impacts- Greater program stability due to longer grant durations without mandatory competitive re-bid.- Expanded geographic eligibility for board members, potentially broadening governance and oversight.- Increased emphasis on pre-kindergarten access and targeted tutoring for students from lower-performing schools, potentially influencing early education and achievement gaps.- More robust data collection and public reporting on program outcomes, safety, and school quality, guiding policy decisions and transparency.- Budget and funding implications for DC’s SOAR program, with extended authorization through 2032 and adjusted funding allocations.

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