Today, Education and Labor Committee Republican Leader Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) responded to a newly released report from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) regarding military families’ limited access to high-quality, K-12 educational options for their children.
"Today’s GAO report highlights that military families, particularly those in rural areas, lack robust options to tailor their child’s educational experiences to their individual needs, underscoring the critical need for school choice nationwide. Servicemembers and their families make great sacrifices for the freedoms we hold dear and we must ensure that military children have equal opportunities to achieve success in the classroom and pursue the American Dream. By empowering all families with educational options, we can ensure future generations of leaders have the tools needed for success. Committee Republicans will continue to fight to provide all Americans with educational freedom," said Republican Leader Virginia Foxx.
"Providing military families’ with educational options is a moral and national security imperative. A high retention rate is crucial to our defense readiness, which is why it’s so troubling that about 35 percent of servicemembers have considered quitting out of frustration with their children’s educational options. Servicemembers sacrifice so much for this country, including the freedom to live in a particular school district. We have an obligation to lessen the effect of that sacrifice on their children. The GAO’s report underscores how important it is for Congress to champion school freedom and Education Savings Accounts," said Rep. Jim Banks.
