As we noted in our last email, last month Governor Reynolds and the Iowa legislature passed a groundbreaking educational savings account bill into law. It was the largest, most significant school choice legislation passed at one time in our country's history. As a former Iowa representative and chair of the education department, I have followed education policy very closely for many years. 

     Why did this happen and how did we get here? For nearly 200 years of our country's history, the culture was influenced by families, churches, and eventually schools that all aligned in the values that they taught. The last 30 to 40 years parents have realized that the major influencers that are affecting our culture are now things like social media, entertainment, corporations, and sports entities. Many things being taught in some of our schools are no longer aligning with many of our families values. Children are frequently being taught things that are contrary to their families values. Several years ago, I met a mom and grandmother in Waterloo who both told me the same thing, “the schools we send our kids to are not teaching the values that they need, and we can't afford to send them anywhere else.”

     This idea is really the whole crux of the school choice movement. All families/parents pay a portion of their hard earned money in taxes to the state. The tax money used for education was never met to sustain a one size fits all system. It was money meant for parents and families to use to educate their children the way they see fit. Governor Reynolds and the legislature recognized the growing unrest among many families within the current system and responded by passing the educational savings account legislation.

     An educational savings account (ESA) allows a parent/family to use a portion of the allocated educational dollars for their child at a school of their choice. This allows the family more opportunity to pick an educational setting that is right for their child and right for their family values. It allows for them to design a more personalized education for each of their unique children.

     Opponents of this educational savings account legislation say that it may hurt the public school system, but could actually the opposite be true? Because of the way education is funded, our public schools will retain many of the non-state dollars designated for the students who choose to leave their buildings and go elsewhere. Each student in our public school system receives more than twice the approximate $7600 value of the ESA allotted amount. The economics show that giving more dollars to each of the remaining students in our public schools could/should enhance their educational opportunities as well.  Secondly, more options for parents with different values will relieve pressure on some of the current cultural dynamics within some of our public schools. Thirdly, more opportunity and choice for all parents and teachers should only make our current public school system better. An expanding market of opportunities that can now become more creative and personalized in serving our families and their children should only serve to unleash better educational environments for our children in all socio-economic levels.  

     This ESA legislation is a three-year step process eventually getting us to what is called full universal educational savings accounts. This means every student in the state will have an option of going to an accredited school of their families choosing rather than their assigned public school. All students currently in public schools are eligible. In the first year, families who send their children to private schools and are below the 300% poverty level (around $90,000 a year for a family of four) can receive an educational savings account. In year 2, that poverty level requirement goes up to 400% ($111,000 income a year for a family of four). In year 3, the income requirements no longer apply. In every case, the educational savings account must first be used for tuition at an accredited nonpublic school, and any leftover funds in the ESA can then be used for other educational expenses like tutoring, books, and only approved needed supplies.

     Families interested in signing up for an ESA can follow the progress at this website: https://educateiowa.gov/pk-12/education-savings-accounts. The legislation has been implemented in a way to expedite the process, and we are hopeful that as early as April or May, families can begin applying for an ESA to be able to use for their children in the fall of this year.

    If you are interested in learning more about educational savings accounts, contact any of us at Inspired Life.

Sincerely,
Walt Rogers