SCHOOL Act of 2025

The SCHOOL Act of 2025 would create a “Funds to Follow the Student” program by amending the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Under the bill, federal grants from Title I, III, IV, V, and VI of ESEA, along with IDEA funds, would be allocated so that funding follows each eligible student to the school they attend—whether public, private, or home school. For public schools, funds would go to local educational agencies (LEAs) based on the number of eligible children enrolled; for private or home schooling, funds would be provided directly to families through Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). The act outlines broad eligible uses for these funds (curriculum, books, tutoring, private school tuition, extracurriculars, testing, therapies, etc.) and requires states to implement plans that annually inform parents of their child’s school choice and to collect data solely for calculating fund allocations. It also emphasizes that funds should supplement, not supplant, non-Federal education resources, preserves eligibility for federal food assistance programs, and forbids federal or state control over non-public education providers. The bill would apply to children aged 5 to 17 (and, in IDEA, to eligible children with disabilities) and would require states to determine enrollment and distribute funds accordingly, including ESAs for private/home school students. It would require compliance with existing rules about supplementing non-Federal funds and would protect existing nutrition programs from being affected. The sponsor and status indicate that the bill was introduced in March 2025 and referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.