I noticed in your agenda under section 10.2 Legislative updates, you highlight among other educational policies, several school choice Bills. In your Legislative update, the presentation highlights Senate Bill 39, which provides scholarships to students seeking school choice. In your presentation, it seems to suggest that ‘student eligibility’ is defined by:
“household income that does not exceed 400% of the federal poverty guidelines”.
While this statement is somewhat accurate, the language in the official Bill seems to suggest that the 400% above poverty designation does not go into effect until 2026-2027. It also seems to suggest that the first year of the act (2024-2025), the federal poverty rate for eligible students will be 200%, and will be phased in to 400% by school year 2026-2027.
I have attached below the official language from the Bill for your perusal. Please let me know if my analysis is inaccurate based upon some additional information you may be aware of that I may not be privy to. If the language presented in the presentation was in error, I would appreciate a correction for the public record.
4) “Eligible student” means a student who:
(a) is a resident of this State;
(b)(i) attended a public school in this State during the previous school year;
(ii) had not yet attained the age of five on or before September first of the previous school year but who has attained the age of five on or before September of the current school year; or
(iii) received a scholarship pursuant to this chapter for the previous school year; and
(c)(i) in school year 2024-2025, has a household income that does not exceed two hundred percent of the federal poverty guidelines;
(ii) in school year 2025-2026, has a household income that does not exceed three hundred percent of the federal poverty guidelines; and
(iii) in school year 2026-2027 and all subsequent years, has a household income that does not exceed four hundred percent of the federal poverty guidelines.
Steven Gilchrist
Northeast Richland County
