Bill > HB1009

This bill creates a new program in South Dakota called Educational Empowerment Accounts (EEAs), which allows parents of students who will attend nonpublic elementary or secondary schools to request a state-funded account. Parents must file a form with the Department of Education, acknowledging that their child cannot be enrolled in a public school district or have an alternative instruction notice on file. The account will be funded with the per-student equivalent amount typically allocated to public schools. The funds can only be used for specific educational expenses, including tuition, sports and fine arts program fees, textbooks, educational therapies, test registration fees, transportation services, and necessary technological devices. Parents must annually renew their account, and if they fail to do so by October 1st, the account will be closed and remaining funds transferred to the state's general fund. The Department of Education will conduct random audits to ensure compliance, and any fraudulent use can result in removal from the program. The bill emphasizes that this program does not give the state additional control over nonpublic schools or alternative instruction, and the department will develop a handbook and website forms to support the program's implementation.

Education

https://sdlegislature.gov/#/Session/Bill/25724