Nevada Assembly Approves Universal Education Savings Accounts

RELEASE: Excel National Applauds Nevada Assembly for
Approving Universal Education Savings Accounts
First in nation for universal school choice

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, the Nevada Assembly passed Universal Education Savings Accounts (ESA) legislation, sending the bill to Governor Brian Sandoval for signature. The legislation (SB302) gives all Nevada parents unprecedented control over their child’s education, including the right to pick their schools. Patricia Levesque, Executive Director for Excellence in Education National (@Excel_National), issued the following statement:

“Excel National applauds the Nevada Assembly’s bold action to give all parents and students choice in education. Universal Education Savings Accounts are the next generation of school choice in America and Nevada deserves national recognition for blazing the trail to become the first state to offer this program to all children. This is a monumental leap forward in the fight for student-focused policies that allow every child the opportunity to receive a quality education. We thank bill sponsor Senator Scott Hammond for his commitment to providing school choice in Nevada and look forward to Governor Sandoval’s signature on this historic legislation.”

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Background on Education Savings Accounts:

• Education Savings Accounts (also commonly referred to as Education Scholarship Accounts or ESAs) are an innovative way to bring customization to the education system.
• ESAs create a personal approach to education, where the ultimate goal is maximizing each child’s natural learning abilities.
• ESAs utilize accounts created by parents and funded and monitored by the state, which allow parents to direct their child’s funding to the schools, courses, programs and services of their choice – including tuition and fees, curriculum materials, tutoring, online learning and licensed services such as therapy for students with disabilities.
• The Nevada proposal would give most students 90 percent of their state education funds. Students with special needs and those with a family income of 185 percent or less of the federal poverty level would receive 100 percent of their funding.
• ESAs were first created in Arizona in 2011. Florida became the second state to pass a program in 2014 and Mississippi and Tennessee have passed programs this year.

For more information visit www.ExcelNational.org.