Alabama homeschooling families are now facing an important decision on whether to participate in the CHOOSE Act, Alabama’s new school choice program featuring Educational Savings Accounts (ESAs). Families who meet certain criteria may apply between Jan. 2 and April 7, 2025, to participate in the ESA program, which offers $7,000 per student if enrolled in a participating school or $2,000 per student if homeschooling or attending a non-participating school (up to $4,000 max per family).
While the idea of some public funding following students appeals to many homeschooling families, the downside is that regulation will certainly follow the students. The CHOOSE Act is no exception.
Families will only be able to spend their ESA money through a specific electronic platform. They will only be able to use the money for “qualifying expenses” specifically described in the regulations. And they will only be able to apply the funds to purchase goods and services from approved vendors and service providers.
In addition, homeschool families will be required to give specific info about each of their children as part of the application process. Birth certificates, addresses, and tax statements are just a few examples of potential requirements. While many homeschooled families already report basic information to local schools, this is the first time that sensitive data about homeschooled students would be collected at the state level, and it comes at a time when threats are increasing against homeschool freedoms and parental rights. We must be watchful that this kind of data is strictly used to administer the ESA funds to the families and providers, and never as a resource to drive policies undermining the rights of parents.
If we judge only the present political climate of our state, we may not feel uncomfortable allowing our government to pick winners and losers in the homeschool educational services and products economy. We may even trust them with our kids’ sensitive data to gain access to money we could put to good use. But we must look farther down the road than the current administration and imagine what a less friendly government could do with this kind of power.
Imagine how the demographics of our state might change. Imagine the cultural shifts. Imagine the pressures that may come from the federal government and outside activist organizations. We may feel secure that current leadership has no plans to undermine our parental rights, but we have seen how fast things can change in other states. It is common for school choice programs to be the crack in the dam through which tighter regulations on homeschooling families break. Even now, the South Carolina Legislature is considering school choice legislation requiring wellness checks for some families using online educational programs at home.
For some homeschool families, the choice to participate is clear. They are comfortable with government oversight, and the money will go a long way to help them educate their children in ways they otherwise might have struggled to afford. But for many other homeschool families, the potential cost to their freedoms is not worth it.
Whether or not families choose to participate in the CHOOSE Act school choice program, it is certain that all of us must remain vigilant against government intrusion on our abilities to freely direct the education of our children.
Sarah Sanchez is a former public high school history teacher turned homeschool mom of four. She works with Clean Up Alabama and also serves as leader of Government Affairs for Alabama Homeschool Alliance, a grass roots homeschool parent group, where she works to inform elected officials and homeschool families on issues that impact homeschool freedom.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News.
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