A school choice bill has once again been brought up in the current legislative session, with the topic bringing heated discussion from both sides of the argument.

Senate File 372 would create “education savings grants” for K-12 students, which in previous assemblies has also been referred to as “education savings accounts” and “school vouchers.” Republicans in the legislature, including Senator Jake Chapman from District 10, believe the bill would create competition among districts, which they feel would improve the quality of the education at the individual schools. Chapman adds that the general idea of the bill is that parents get the ultimate say in their child’s education. “Generally speaking, I’m for parents being able to choose the school that’s best for their child. Whether that’s home schooling, whether that’s a public school, whether that’s open enrolling to another school, (or) whether it’s online classes. I think parents know what’s best for their child, and I want to empower parents to be able to do that.”

Opponents to the bill — which includes Democrats in the legislature and organizations such as the Iowa Association of School Boards — have emphasized that the proposed legislation is essentially using taxpayer money for private schooling, allowing for-profit institutions to benefit from public dollars. The opposition also points out that regulating how the money is spent by individual families would be difficult to manage, so the possibility is there of parents taking the money for themselves and spending nothing on education.

SF 372 has passed through subcommittee, and could see floor discussion soon, though at this time it’s unclear if it will have enough support to make it through the first funnel. To learn more about the current legislative session, listen to today’s Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program on air and at RaccoonValleyRadio.com.