Bill > HB1258

This bill establishes the Student Freedom Account Program, which creates a new educational funding mechanism for parents of school-age children in Pennsylvania. The program allows parents to create individual student freedom accounts that receive state funding equivalent to the per-student state education funding, with additional funding for students with special needs. Parents can use these accounts to pay for a wide range of educational expenses, including tuition, textbooks, tutoring, online courses, educational supplies, and even certain postsecondary education costs. The bill also introduces a "personalized education program" option that provides more flexibility for parents who want to educate their children outside traditional public or private school settings. Parents can use the accounts to access educational services from various participating entities like nonpublic schools, tutors, online programs, and counselors. The program requires some accountability measures, such as annual evaluations of student progress and compliance with basic educational standards. The accounts will be administered by the state treasury department, which can contract with third-party administrators and will conduct periodic audits to prevent fraud. Notably, the program allows parents significant autonomy in designing their child's education, with minimal state regulation of participating educational entities. The program is set to begin in the school year following one year after the act's effective date, with applications first being accepted in the March preceding that school year.

Education

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2025&sind=0&body=H&type=B&bn=1258