K-12 Education Freedom

529 Education Freedom for States Act Model Policy

529 education savings plans are tax-advantaged accounts that help families save for education expenses. Established under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code, these plans were originally designed to support postsecondary education costs but have since been expanded by Congress to include K-12 tuition, apprenticeship programs, and other qualified educational expenses. As the permissible uses of 529 plans have broadened, they have become increasingly important vehicles for education freedom.

529 Plan Conformity across the states: A Reform Agenda After the One Big Beautiful Bill

529 education savings plans, also known as qualified tuition plans, are tax-advantaged accounts in which families invest after-tax dollars in mutual funds, index funds, and age-based portfolios offered by plan administrators under contract with state governments. Earnings grow free from federal income tax, and withdrawals remain tax-free when used for qualified education expenses.

Governor’s Executive Budget: GATOR Scholarship Expansion

Getting DEI out of IDEA: End Racial Quotas in Special Education

In November 2025, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) turned 50 years old. It provides states and school districts with $15.4 billion per year and requires schools to identify and address the needs of students with disabilities (Dragoo, 2026). In 2004, Congress reauthorized IDEA recognizing a concern that Black students were being identified with disabilities at higher rates than White students. Congress therefore required states to collect data from school districts to determine whether there is a “significant disproportionality” by race in special education identification or discipline (20 U.S.C. § 1418(d)).

AFPI-GA Calls for the Return of Education Authority to the States

The America First Policy Institute’s Georgia Chapter (AFPI-GA) issued the following statement as the House Rules Committee blocked House Resolution 1789 from moving forward, which would support the dissolution of the U.S. Department of Education and the return of education authority to the states.