House Bill 679: Education Scholarship Accounts

February 22, 2024March 7, 2024 Bill Tracker

Latest Action

---

The House Education Committee failed to vote on HB 679 by the March 5 deadline, causing the bill to die in committee.

Explanation of the Bill

---

House Bill 679 would change the date of repeal of the Equal Opportunity for Students with Special Needs Act from July 1, 2024 to July 1, 2027. 

The Equal Opportunity for Students with Special Needs Act became law as part of the 2015 legislative session. It establishes and lays out the guidelines for the Education Scholarship Account (ESA) program. Under this program, parents of students who have had an active Individualized Education Program (IEP) within the past three years can receive funds to educate their child outside of the public school system. For example, a parent can use ESA funds to pay for private school tuition at eligible private schools. Funding for the program is subject to appropriation.

In the program’s initial year, enrollment was limited to 500 students and the amount of funding provided to each student was $6,500. The program was set to expand by 500 additional students in each subsequent year, and funding was set to change in proportion to changes in the base student cost of the Mississippi Adequate Education Program. Limited funding for the program has decreased the number of students the program actually serves. Currently, the program serves 381 students and is funded at a rate of $7,089 per student per year.
Mississippi’s ESA program is narrower in scope than recent efforts in a growing number of states to pass “universal” ESAs that would be open to all students, regardless of disability status. HB 679 maintains the program as it has existed since 2015 and does not provide for an expansion.