North Dakota House Advances 1 of 3 Education Savings Account Bills

 Rep. Pat Heinert, R-Bismarck.  (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)

(Jeff Beach and Michael Achterling – North Dakota Monitor) – A bill that earmarks state money for tuition at private schools passed the North Dakota House, while two other similar bills failed.

House Bill 1540, sponsored by Rep. Ben Koppelman, R-West Fargo, would use money from the state’s general fund to help families pay for private school or private classes. Students using the fund can’t be enrolled in a public school. The money would not come from the state’s K-12 public schools budget.

Rep. Pat Heinert, R-Bismarck, urged House members to pass an Education Savings Account bill that he sponsored and the Koppelman bill to give lawmakers the opportunity to work on a compromise bill with similar proposals that emerge from the state Senate.

Heinert said without a school choice bill, North Dakota may be forced to work with federal guidelines.

He said the Trump administration is expected to supply funding to the states for school choice.