Wyoming News; Bill would provide financial assistance to students who aren't in public school system

GILLETTE — State legislators have proposed a bill creating a program where students can be eligible for $5,000 a year if they’re not in the public school system.

House Bill 19 would create education savings accounts using money from the state’s general fund.

Rep. Ken Clouston, R-Gillette, is a member of the Joint Education Interim Committee, which is sponsoring the bill. He said the group listened to hours and hours of testimony about this bill.

“I think it’s a good bill, because nobody got everything they wanted, there was give and take on both sides,” Clouston said.

He said it will benefit both families that plan on enrolling their children in the public school system once their kids reach that age, as well as families with kids in K-12 who decide to use a method of education other than public school.

“We see a lot of our lower income families can’t afford preschool so they’re way behind when kindergarten and first grade starts,” Clouston said.

Families can apply for these education savings accounts if they meet certain criteria.

A Wyoming child who lives in a home whose household income is at or below 250% percent of the federal poverty level is eligible to receive $5,000 a year if the child is at least 3 years old but not old enough to attend public school, or if the child is of public school age but not attending public school.

Students attending private school or charter school, as well as those who are homeschooled, would be eligible, Clouston said. The money can be spent on things such as tuition, textbooks, computers and educational software.

Parents must apply to the state superintendent of public instruction. An application form and procedures for approval will be established.

Once a student has been accepted, the state superintendent’s office will continue to deposit money into that student’s education savings account until the student withdraws from the program or enrolls in a public school, or if the department determines that student is no longer eligible.

The bill proposes taking $40 million from the general fund and putting it into the program’s expense account. Of this money, 30% would be for kids not old enough for kindergarten, and 70% would be for K-12 students who are not in public school.

Sen. Eric Barlow, R-Gillette, said this money would be appropriated every two years, and any money that isn’t spent would go back into the general fund.