Bill Overview
Title: Kids in Classes Act
Description: This bill prohibits a state educational agency from receiving specified federal education funds unless funds are provided directly to a parent or guardian of an eligible child for certain qualified educational expenses (e.g., educational materials, tutoring, or private school tuition). Eligible child refers to a child who attends a public elementary or secondary school and such school (1) receives specified federal education funds; and (2) does not provide, for more than three days during a school year and for reasons related to a public health emergency or collective bargaining action, in-person instruction for all students who wish to attend.
Sponsors: Sen. Scott, Tim [R-SC]
Target Audience
Population: Children who attend public elementary or secondary schools worldwide
Estimated Size: 10000000
- The bill specifies that it impacts children who attend public schools that receive certain federal educational funds.
- Eligible children must be affected by more than three days of non-in-person instruction due to public health emergencies or collective bargaining.
- The bill impacts children from all public elementary and secondary schools that meet the criteria across the United States.
- In the US, there are about 50 million public school students, suggesting that a large group could be impacted, but it is limited to those experiencing these specific conditions.
Reasoning
- The policy impacts about 10 million US students, given the conditions of non-in-person instruction and federal funding.
- The budget constraints limit the per-child impact, with potentially robust support for educational expenses like tutoring or materials.
- A range of socioeconomic backgrounds should be considered, as public schools serve diverse populations.
- Not all families may utilize the funds equally, some may greatly benefit while others might see less impact depending on their school’s adherence to in-person instruction.
Simulated Interviews
Teacher (Chicago, IL)
Age: 38 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think this policy could help relieve some financial pressure from having to arrange additional learning resources.
- My kids have missed quite a bit of in-person learning, any additional help is valuable.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 3 |
IT Professional (New York, NY)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- While I earn a decent income, I wouldn't mind extra help to cover unexpected educational expenses.
- I'm worried about my child's college readiness if these closures continue.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 4 |
Part-time retail worker (Rural Alabama)
Age: 30 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy could make a big difference, especially for materials and tutoring my kids need.
- It's been hard managing work and supporting my children with online learning.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Software Developer (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 52 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I believe every student should have access to quality education, though this policy might not significantly impact us.
- Our community is well-equipped to handle closures, but I'm glad the policy helps those in need.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Freelancer (Austin, TX)
Age: 28 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy might provide more stability in unpredictable times, more support is always better.
- I have to juggle work during these closures, so this can ease some of the stress.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Nurse (Miami, FL)
Age: 35 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This will really help supplement my son's education which is critical given his learning challenges.
- The past few years have been tough with sporadic learning.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Mechanic (Denver, CO)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 6.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy could allow my kids access to better online resources and tutoring.
- I'm worried they might fall behind otherwise.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Public School Administrator (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 37 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 13/20
Statement of Opinion:
- While this policy could help many families, I'm worried about the implementation logistics.
- Ensuring fair distribution will be crucial.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Small Business Owner (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 31 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy might help offset some disruption costs, both personally and professionally.
- I'm hopeful it stabilizes the educational experience for my son.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Stay-at-home parent (Philadelphia, PA)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- We really need all the help we can get, so this policy could be life-changing for us.
- I want my child to succeed despite these challenging circumstances.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $2000000000 (Low: $1500000000, High: $3000000000)
Year 2: $2000000000 (Low: $1500000000, High: $3000000000)
Year 3: $2000000000 (Low: $1500000000, High: $3000000000)
Year 5: $2000000000 (Low: $1500000000, High: $3000000000)
Year 10: $2000000000 (Low: $1500000000, High: $3000000000)
Year 100: $2000000000 (Low: $1500000000, High: $3000000000)
Key Considerations
- The impact of non-in-person learning has been a significant concern, and this bill aims to mitigate related challenges.
- The reallocation of funds from public schools could potentially weaken the public system unless managed carefully.
- There may be legal and logistical challenges in redirecting federal funds directly to parents.