FLISA Opposition to CHOICE Act

Federal Lands Impacted Schools Association Statement in Opposition to CHOICE Act
(115th Congress)

ISSUE:

Title III of S. 235, the “Creating Hope and Opportunity for Individuals and Communities through Education” (CHOICE) Act, establishes a voucher program for the children of military personnel who live on military installations. The Federal Lands Impacted Schools Association (FLISA) opposes this legislation.

GENERAL DISCUSSION:

  • Military parents and their children deserve the support of our nation. Public school districts with significant numbers of military dependents have a strong history of offering the academic and emotional supports necessary to support this unique population, including educational counseling and other programs specifically designed for military students.
  • The Impact Aid program provides funding to public school districts based on the number of military-connected children enrolled, those living both on and off the installation. Rather than creating a new program when funding is scarce, Congress should invest in programs like Impact Aid to safeguard the ability of public schools to provide a high-quality education to the students they serve.
  • The Federal government should not create a new program when funding for current obligations, including Impact Aid, is not being met. The Federal government should not fund voucher programs as extensive research has shown that voucher schools do not improve the educational outcomes for students.1

STATEMENT:

The Federal Lands Impacted Schools Association (FLISA) stands with the military impacted schools community in strong opposition of “The CHOICE Act.” Diverting federal funding to non-public schools would place a greater financial burden on local communities and taxpayers. Instead of providing funds to an unproven school voucher program, Congress should increase Impact Aid funding to benefit military impacted and all federally impacted schools.

1 New York Times, “Dismal Voucher Results…”, February 23, 2017: https://nyti.ms/2maWvKN