Eligibility for Education Freedom Accounts

House Bill HB464 proposes to broaden the eligibility for Education Freedom Accounts.

The bill seeks to amend RSA 194-F:1 (Definition of an eligible student) by broadening eligibility. The only existing criterion is family income below 300% of the the federal poverty guideline. The bill would add a list of additional eligibility options, any one of which would qualify the student:

• children in foster card
• children of migratory agricultural or fishing families
• homeless children
• children of parents on active military service
• English-language learner
• children who are persistently bullied in their existing public school
• children with a disability
• children with a manifest educational hardship
• children whose designated public school is in the lowest-performing 5%
• children whose school has been designated as persistently dangerous
• children who qualify for free or reduced price meals

Should SDGA support or oppose? Please discuss.