School choice passes key vote in ND House

The North Dakota House of Representatives debated and passed HB 1540 establishing Education Savings Accounts (ESA) this week, rebounding from a setback in the Education Committee where it received a “do not pass” recommendation. The bill was introduced by Rep. Ben Koppelman (R) of West Fargo and passed on a vote of 49 to 38. Critical support came from House Majority Leader Mike Lefor (R) of Dickinson who spoke on the floor in strong favor of the legislation, pointing out that North Dakota is behind many other states that have already adopted school choice to reform their K-12 education systems.

HB 1540 creates an Education Savings Account (ESA) worth around $8,000 to allow parents to customize their child’s education in the way that will best meet his or her unique needs. An ESA can be used to cover tuition at a non-public school, tutoring costs, special education services and therapies, and more.  

ESAs will give North Dakota families the freedom and resources to access a learning environment that matches their education goals and values. 

The bill will be funded by an appropriation of $40 million from the North Dakota general fund. Gov. Kelly Armstrong is also a strong supporter of the Education Savings Account approach and set aside $44.3 million for ESAs in his budget proposal.

American Experiment encourages North Dakotans to email their legislators in support of Education Savings Accounts using the Take Action page here.