BAKERSFIELD, Calif — Senator Shannon Grove introduces SB 64, aiming to provide financial support for parents choosing private education.
- State Senator Shannon Grove proposes Senate Bill SB 64 to fund private school tuition with tax dollars.
- The bill aims to create the School Choice Flex Account Act of 2025, allowing parents $8,000 annually for tuition.
- Families of students with special needs could receive up to $16,000 for educational expenses.
- The bill is scheduled for a hearing in March, with uncertain prospects for passing.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A proposed bill allows taxpayer dollars to be used for educational costs at private religious schools. This bill, however, is being met with resistance.
State Senator Shannon Grove from Bakersfield introduced Senate Bill SB 64 and a Senate Constitutional Amendment. These bills are forming the School Choice Flex Account Act of 2025. If these bills are passed, taxpayer dollars would be used to pay educational expenses at private schools. That means parents would receive funding to send their children to a religious, private, or hybrid learning setting. She says she is doing this for the students who can't learn in a regular learning environment.
I asked Sen. Grove "How would this affect the public schools and their funding?"
"Like I said, they will get $24,700. This will remove $8,000 for a student or $16,000 for individuals with special education, and they will still get federal funding and state funding." Sen. Grove said.
The School Choice Flex Account Act would provide parents with $8,000 annually for tuition and $16,000 annually for students with special needs.
However, not everyone agrees that this is a good idea, saying that we need students in our public schools.
"It's clear that Californians aren't interested in vouchers because they understand that vouchers essentially drain our public schools of funding, and they revert them to private schools. And that's not the way we should be doing business in California." Mr. Aguilar said.
Jesse Aguilar is an employee with the Kern High School District, and he is also on the Board of Directors for the California Teacher Association. He says the CTA has not made any endorsement or recommendation in regards to supporting or opposing the bill, but Mr. Aguilar says he doubts this bill will go through.
Meanwhile, Senator Grove says this act doesn't take all the money away from public schools; it allows for parents who pay taxes to take a portion of that funding and use it to educate their child. "Parents want an opportunity for their kids to be successful, and most of the way the schools are designed is you are in schools based on your zip code. So if you are at a low-performing school and you're in that zip code, you are kind of stuck." She said.
It's still too early to say if this proposed bill will go anywhere. It next goes to a hearing sometime in March.
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