We all suspected this was coming. Well, here it is, courtesy of Rep. Steve King (R-IA-4) :
“This bill repeals the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and limits the authority of the Department of Education (ED) such that ED is authorized only to award block grants to qualified states.
The bill establishes an education voucher program, through which each state shall distribute block grant funds among local educational agencies (LEAs) based on the number of eligible children within each LEA's geographical area. From these amounts, each LEA shall: (1) distribute a portion of funds to parents who elect to enroll their child in a private school or to home-school their child, and (2) do so in a manner that ensures that such payments will be used for appropriate educational expenses.
To be eligible to receive a block grant, a state must: (1) comply with education voucher program requirements, and (2) make it lawful for parents of an eligible child to elect to enroll their child in any public or private elementary or secondary school in the state or to home-school their child.
No Hungry Kids Act
The bill repeals a specified rule that established certain nutrition standards for the national school lunch and breakfast programs. (In general, the rule requires schools to increase the availability of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or fat free milk in school meals; reduce the levels of sodium, saturated fat, and trans fat in school meals; and meet children's nutritional needs within their caloric requirements.)”
More info, via Bobbie Cohen via Facebook:
Please call your US House Representative and ask him/her to vote NO on House Bill 610 (HR 610), a bill that would start the school voucher system to be used by children ages 5-17 and would start the DEFUNDING PROCESS OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
In addition, the bill will ELIMINATE THE ELEMENTARY and EDUCATION ACT of 1965, which is the nation's educational law and provides equal opportunity in education. ESSA is a big comprehensive program that covers programs for struggling learners, Advanced Placement classes, ESL classes, classes for Native Americans and other groups, Rural Education, Education for the Homeless, School Safety, Monitoring and Compliance and Federal Accountability Programs