Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to adopt an amendment to S 2 that appropriates $30 million to establish six demonstration projects by which low-income parents may be granted vouchers to cover the costs of enrolling their children in a public or private school of their choice.

Highlights:

- Specifies that vouchers may be used to cover the costs of private sectarian schools [sec. 303 (1)]. - Defines "eligible child" as a child in grades 1-12 who is eligible for free or reduced price meals under the National School Lunch Act [sec. 303 (2)]. - Requires the Secretary of Education, in selecting grant recipients, to give priority to projects that [sec. 306 (b)]:

- Involve choice schools that offer an enrollment opportunity to the broadest range of eligible children; - Involve diverse types of choice schools; and - Contribute to geographic diversity.

- Allows the Secretary of Education to increase the value of the voucher to cover the transportation costs [sec. 308 (a) (1)]. - Allows for the value of the vouchers to be adjusted in the second and third years of the child's participation based on increases or decreases in the tuition, fees, or transportation costs, but shall not be increased by more than 10 percent over the previous year [sec. 308 (b)].

Full Bill Text

Full Bill Text