GILLETTE, Wyo. — A bill establishing education savings accounts for certain Wyoming students has made it out of committee with pass recommendations and is now on general file in the Wyoming Senate.
House Bill 166, Education Savings Accounts, was placed on the Senate’s general file for consideration this week after it was forwarded on with an amend and pass recommendation from the Senate Education Committee on March 1 and a similar recommendation from the Senate Appropriations Committee on March 4.
If approved, the bill would allow Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder to set up the education savings account program, providing up to $5,000 for families with qualifying income to help cover educational costs outside of the state’s public education system, according to Wyoming Rep. Ken Clouston (R-Gillette), the bill’s sponsor.
Funding would be provided based on a tiered income system to pay for tuition, electronics, education software, extracurricular activities and other necessities, per Clouston.
In a late February update regarding the legislation, Clouston said that while he remains a strong advocate for the public education system, his bill gives families the choices they want and need to make the best decisions for their children and family.
Additionally, Clouston’s legislation would provide education opportunities for 4-year-olds in recognition of the significance of pre-kindergarten education and the long-term benefits of programs for preschool children.
“Please support this bill in your community, support Wyoming families, and give these families some of the education choices that they have been asking for,” Clouston said in a statement.