Yesterday Sens. Mike Lee (R-New Hanover), Chad Barefoot (R-Wake) and Ben Clark ( D-Cumberland) introduced legislation (SB 603) that establishes personal education savings accounts – or ESAs as they are commonly known — for special needs students across North Carolina. To be eligible, students must have a disability, be entering kindergarten, be in foster care or have parents or a guardian who are full-time military personnel.
Parents will access funds by using a debit card that will be loaded with prepaid funds. Funds can be used to cover educational expenses such as tuition, textbooks, tutoring, test fees and educational therapies. The legislation also allows recipients to receive Special Education Scholarship Grants.
This is great news for parents in North Carolina of special needs students. ESAs allow parents to direct how and where their children are educated. ESAs are the future of school choice. Five states have already approved ESA legislation and close to 30 others are considering ESA legislation.
Interested in learning more about ESAs can help parents and children in North Carolina ? Learn more at:
Special Needs ESAs: An idea whose time has come
National Legislator Survey finds strong support for ESAs vouchers and charter schools
The Next Step in School Choice
ESA4nckids.org
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