WASHINGTON (PNN) - August 16, 2020 - Under new legislation proposed by Senator Rand Paul (Kent.), called the Support Children Having Open Opportunities for Learning (or SCHOOL) Act, federal education funds would follow each individual student rather than being assigned to specific school districts.
It would be up to the parents if they would like to spend the money sending their child to public school, or if they would rather use the money for a private school, charter school, or even homeschool supplies. For instance, the money could go towards homeschool curriculum materials, technology necessary for learning, tutoring, and even certain extracurriculars.
"As the impact of the ongoing pandemic and the government response efforts continue to place parents in situations requiring greater flexibility in balancing working and providing for their families’ critical needs, especially when educating their children at home, my SCHOOL Act grants them that flexibility by empowering them to use their own tax dollars to find the option that best fits their family’s needs, and allowing them to reclaim a bit of stability in uncertain times," said Dr. Paul.
More choice is always a good thing.
If the federal government is going to be in the business of spending money on education, this at least gives the recipients more control to direct their tax dollars where they see fit.
It’s a small step towards defunding something with which you disagree, if you aren’t happy with local schools. Plus it will give more options to low income people, who could use these resources to divorce themselves from a failing and dangerous school system.
This sort of proposal would usually be dead on arrival. But in the times of COVID-19, with more parents than ever considering homeschooling, this might actually get the consideration it deserves.