HR 83119th CongressIn Committee

Ending Common Core and Expanding School Choice Act

Introduced: Jan 3, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

This bill would reshape the way federal Title I funds (for disadvantaged students) are allocated and used. It directs the federal government to distribute funds to State Educational Agencies (SEAs) based on the number of eligible, low-income children in each state, and then to “follow” those funds to the school the child attends or to an approved alternative (including public, charter, accredited private schools, or supplemental educational services). The law relies on state control to determine how funds are used, including the possibility of distributing money directly to parents through educational savings accounts or similar arrangements. It also repeals a federal program that supports state assessment grants and strengthens language limiting federal involvement in curriculum, standards, or annual assessments, effectively reducing federal mandates and increasing state flexibility. Overall, the bill would significantly expand school choice by allowing federal funds to be used for a wider set of schooling options while reducing federal direction over standards and accountability.

Key Points

1Expands how Title I funds can be used: federal funds for eligible, low-income children can follow the child to the school they attend—public, charter, accredited private, or a supplemental services program—via per-pupil allocations.
2Eligible child definition and funding formula: an eligible child is a 5-to-17-year-old in a family below the poverty line (per Census criteria, adjusted with CPI for inflation). Each state's per-pupil amount is the state’s total funds under the program divided by its number of eligible children.
3State control and options for funds: funds may be used for any “qualified elementary and secondary education expenses,” including attending a public/charter school, tuition to attend a state-private or state-approved private school, or participating in a state-approved supplemental services program. States may require educational savings accounts or other dedicated accounts to track and verify spending.
4Rules of construction and federal non-interference: the bill prohibits federal officers from mandating curricula, standards (including Common Core), assessments, or accountability systems, and states that no federal requirement to implement annual assessments or standards shall be imposed as a condition of funds.
5Conforming amendments and program shifts: repeals Part B (state assessment grants) of title I and restructures appropriations, renaming and adjusting sections to reflect the new framework for State Educational Agency Grants for Eligible Children.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected: Disadvantaged children and their families (eligible low-income students 5–17) who could access a wider array of schooling options with federal dollars following them to the chosen school or program.Secondary group/area affected: Schools (public, charter, and accredited private) and state education agencies; private schools that participate in state-approved programs; providers of supplemental educational services.Additional impacts:- Potential changes to public school funding dynamics if funds are redirected toward private options, depending on state law and usage.- Reduced federal involvement in curriculum standards, assessments, and accountability systems, giving states more autonomy but potentially decreasing uniform national safeguards.- Repeal of federal-state assessment grants could shift costs to states or alter how assessments are funded and implemented.- Introduction or expansion of educational savings accounts or similar mechanisms as a possible means to manage funds, with accompanying verification and accountability considerations.

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