The CHOICE Act (Creating Hope and Opportunity for Individuals and Communities through Education Act) is a multi-title bill that expands school-choice options across three main areas. First, Title I amends the DC Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act to enhance opportunity scholarships for low-income District of Columbia students, including clarifying enrollment eligibility for the next school year. Second, Title II creates an Education Portability framework under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that would allow states to offer a “parent option program” for children with disabilities. This program could use federal, state, or donor funds (including potential tax credits) to help pay for attendance at a chosen public or private school, subject to various protections and accountability requirements. Third, Title III starts a five-year pilot military scholarships program to let eligible military dependents attend participating public or private schools near military installations, with annual scholarship caps and rules for selection, continuation, and transfer. The bill also includes nondiscrimination and religious-liberty safeguards, plus reporting and funding provisions (notably a $10 million annual authorization for 2025–2029 and a salary-offset for the Department of Education).
Key Points
- 1DC Opportunity Scholarships: Amends the DC Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act to clarify and broaden eligibility and enrollment language for low-income DC students, expanding access to public or private elementary and secondary schools for the next school year.
- 2IDEA Parent Option Program: Creates a pathway for states to establish a parent option program under IDEA, allowing parents to use state/federal funds or donor tax credits to pay some or all costs (tuition, fees, transportation) of attending a chosen public or private school for a child with a disability; includes conditions about accreditation, non-discrimination, and protections for religious schools and single-sex options.
- 3Program Details for Private/Religious Schools: Participating schools must be accredited or licensed, and the bill preserves religious-liberty protections (employment rights under Title VII, ability to maintain religious symbols and mission, and exemptions for religiously affiliated schools). It also allows single-sex options and does not require religious schools to alter their religious identity.
- 4Military Scholarships Pilot: Establishes a 5-year pilot to subsidize eligible military students’ attendance at chosen schools near selected installations, with caps (up to $8,000 for elementary and $12,000 for secondary in the first year, adjusted annually for inflation), random selection if demand exceeds supply, and rules for continued eligibility and transfers.
- 5Oversight, Reporting, and Funding: Requires annual and final reporting on program participation, funding, participating schools, and parental satisfaction; authorizes $10 million per year (2025–2029) and offsets this by returning $10 million from Department of Education salaries in those years.