What are ESAs?
Education Savings Accounts are programs that provide government money to families (up to a certain amount) to spend on educational expenses.
Unlike Health Savings Accounts, which are tax shelters where individuals can place a certain amount of their own money, ESAs are government funds deposited into an account that parents can use for educational expenses.
Why do organizations and parents support ESAs?
Many of our typical pro-family and pro-freedom allies support ESAs. The big push for ESAs is coming from conservative organizations and high dollar donors who are advocating in the educational choice movement, as well as some parents.
These organizations and donors are rightly motivated, first by a genuine concern for children trapped in failing schools and families who cannot afford private educational options, and second by their goal of breaking the monopoly of the public school system and the teachers’ unions.
The first attempt to break that monopoly was through the charter school movement. However, charter schools did not fulfill their promise at the macro level in the way their supporters had hoped and now many of those influencers have pivoted to ESA initiatives.
Parents across the country are also in favor of ESAs. Many are single-income families who are going through tough economic times. And they’re feeling like, “I’m paying my taxes for the local schools but also paying to educate my own children, so why shouldn’t I get some of that money back?”
Does HSLDA think ESAs for homeschoolers are a good idea?
No. Never.
Why not?
Bottom line: The person who provides the funding will want to control how it’s used. Don’t we all think that anything our tax dollars are spent on should have transparency and accountability built in?
The calls for regulation, mandated curriculum, increased testing, and loss of data privacy are already popping up—from public school advocates who have agendas for forming American children into uniform products of the state and from fiscal hawks who want transparency and accountability on taxpayer-funded projects—and it is clear that they will continue.
HSLDA has always fought for the right of parents to homeschool in peace and freedom. We do not believe that one educational plan fits all children and parents should be empowered to make that determination based on their child’s unique gifts, talents, and needs.
But doesn’t HSLDA care about struggling families?
Yes, we do. Deeply. In 1999, because of the vision and generosity of a single donor, HSLDA began giving grants to widows to enable them to continue homeschooling. More donors came alongside, and the types and sizes of the grants grew. Their sacrificial giving in the subsequent years has allowed us to see God’s provision through the disbursement of over $15 million to many thousands of families.
If you know a family in need, please encourage them to reach out to us. And if you would like to help others, you can donate here: hslda.org/donate.
So, if you care, can you suggest an alternative to ESAs?
Yep!
The official launch date is in June, but here’s a sneak peek, since you’ve asked:
HSLDA Action has developed model legislation that proposes an educational tax credit for families who take on the financial burden of educating their kids.
In the coming weeks and months, you’ll see us promoting this publicly to policy makers and elected officials in every state.
You can see the model bill here.
For a legislative update on ESAs and an in-depth look at our position, we’ve highlighted two helpful articles below.