Congressman Flake Introduces D.C. School Choice Bill

Bill Will Create Opportunity Scholarships For Low-Income D.C. Children

February 11, 2003

Washington, DC - Congressman Jeff Flake, who represents the state’s Sixth District, today introduced legislation to create opportunity scholarships for low-income children in Washington, D.C. to attend a school of their choice.

"The children of Washington, D.C. have been trapped in a failing school system for too long," said Flake. "Let’s give them a chance to succeed."

"Simply put, we need to put kids ahead of teacher’s unions."

"Parents, not Congress or teacher’s unions or city officials or anybody else, ought to decide where and where not to send their kids to school, and this bill gives them the power to decide for themselves."

Congress passed nearly identical legislation in 1997, but it was vetoed by then-President Clinton in 1998.

A summary of the bill follows.

Bill Summary
H.R. 684
D.C. Opportunity Scholarships

Opportunity Scholarships
The bill provides opportunity scholarships for grades K - 12 District of Columbia residents whose family incomes are below 185 percent of the poverty level. The scholarships may be used for tuition costs at a public or private school in D.C. and adjacent counties in Maryland and Virginia. Special enhanced Achievement Scholarships are also available for tutoring assistance.

District of Columbia Scholarship Corporation
The legislation creates a seven-member private, independent non-profit corporation to administer the scholarship program. The D.C. mayor will appoint one board member while the remaining six will be appointed by the President from nominees submitted by the speaker of the House and the president pro-tempore of the Senate (in consultation with the minority). Board members must be D.C. residents and may not work for either the federal or D.C. governments.

Eligibility
District students whose family incomes are below the poverty line may receive a scholarship of up to $5,000 or the cost of tuition, whichever is less. Students whose family incomes are above the poverty line but below 185 percent of the poverty level may receive assistance up to $3,750. Students receiving Enhanced Achievement Scholarships are eligible for tuition assistance awards up to $800.

Scholarships will be awarded on a priority basis to ensure that students with the greatest need have the best chance to receive a scholarship. Scholarships will first be awarded to those who received them in the previous year, then to applicants who are victims of documented acts of school violence, and finally to all other D.C. students in grades K – 12. If there are not sufficient funds available for all the eligible applicants on any of the priority tiers, scholarships are to be awarded randomly to those applicants.

Private schools accepting tuition scholarship students are required to abide by anti-discrimination and other civil rights laws, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) where applicable. Religious schools, however, will be allowed to continue offering single-sex education programs as consistent with the religious tenets upon which the school was founded.