AB 830

This bill creates an educational savings account program for gifted and talented

pupils. Beginning in the 2018-19 school year, the bill requires the Department of

Public Instruction to award $1,000 scholarships to certain gifted and talented pupils

and to credit the scholarships to individual accounts established and maintained by

DPI. Under the bill, DPI may award no more than 2,000 scholarships in any school

year.

Under the bill, a pupil is eligible for a gifted and talented scholarship if the pupil

satisfies the following criteria:

1. The pupil is enrolled in a public school, including an independent charter

school, or a private school participating in a parental choice program or the Special

Needs Scholarship Program.

2. The pupil is identified as a gifted and talented pupil because the pupil

demonstrates evidence of high performance capability in an intellectual, creative,

artistic, leadership, or other specific academic area or because the pupil scored in the

top 5 percent on a pupil assessment required to be administered under state law.

3. The pupil satisfies the income eligibility criteria under federal law for a free

or reduced-price lunch.

In order to receive a scholarship under the program, an eligible pupil must

apply to DPI and the pupil's parent or guardian must agree 1) to comply with

compulsory attendance requirements, 2) not to accept a payment, refund, or rebate

from a person who provides a service or product that is purchased with a scholarship,

and 3) to use the scholarship only for eligible expenses. The bill provides that an

eligible expense is any of the following incurred to educate the gifted and talented

pupil at an eligible educational provider: tuition and fees, textbooks, payments to a

licensed or accredited tutor, payments to purchase a curriculum, tuition and fees for

a private online learning program, fees for Advanced Placement exams, private

music or art lessons, and any other expenses approved by DPI. The bill defines an

eligible educational provider as a public school, including an independent charter

school, a private school participating in a parental choice program or the SNSP, any

nonprofit organization approved by DPI, a licensed or accredited tutor, and any other

provider approved by DPI.

The bill directs DPI to establish and maintain an individual account for each

pupil awarded a scholarship under the program. The bill specifies that an account

is a record of the scholarships awarded to and disbursements made on behalf of a

pupil. The bill directs DPI to develop, by rule, a system to promptly disburse money

from a pupil's account for eligible expenses. The system developed by DPI may

include direct payments to providers and reimbursements to parents and guardians

for eligible expenses.

Under the bill, any scholarship credited to a pupil's account remains in his or

her account until it is disbursed for an eligible expense or until the account is closed.