The House of Representatives is considering a bill (H.R. 610)  that would radically change our public school system -- gutting federal grant funding in favor of state-managed vouchers for charters, privates, and homeschooling. It would also destroy legislation that set reasonable standards for healthy school lunches--crucial for all children, but especially for those students who face food insecurity at home.

WHAT’S GOING ON?

In January, Congressman Steve King introduced HR 610, the School Choice Act, which would eliminate the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Federal funds would be used instead to create “block grants” to be used to “distribute a portion of funds to parents who elect to enroll their child in a private school or to homeschool their child.” It would also roll back nutritional standards for free lunches for poor children. (In general, the rule requires schools to increase the availability of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or fat free milk in school meals; reduce the levels of sodium, saturated fat, and trans fat in school meals; and meet children's nutritional needs within their caloric requirements.)

It’s clear that both DeVos and 45 would support HR 610.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Call your Congressional Representative and tell him you are opposed to bill H.R. 610. Tell him you do NOT want our public school system privatized, and nutritional standards for school lunches are too important to roll back.

Call today -- and keep calling.

Essex County NJ Congressional Reps

• Leonard Lance (R-NJ7)

• (202) 225-5361

• (908) 518-7733

• (908) 788-6900

• Albio Sires (D-NJ8)

• (202) 225-7919

• (908) 820-0692

• (201) 309-0301

• Donald Payne, Jr. (D-NJ10)

• (202) 225-3436

• (973)-645-3213

• (201)-369-0392

• Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ11)

• (202) 225-5034

• (973) 984-0711

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Here’s the summary of the bill from https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/610 :

H.R.610 - To distribute Federal funds for elementary and secondary education in the form of vouchers for eligible students and to repeal a certain rule relating to nutrition standards in schools.

Choices in Education Act of 2017

This bill repeals the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and limits the authority of the Department of Education (ED) such that ED is authorized only to award block grants to qualified states.

The bill establishes an education voucher program, through which each state shall distribute block grant funds among local educational agencies (LEAs) based on the number of eligible children within each LEA's geographical area. From these amounts, each LEA shall: (1) distribute a portion of funds to parents who elect to enroll their child in a private school or to home-school their child, and (2) do so in a manner that ensures that such payments will be used for appropriate educational expenses.

To be eligible to receive a block grant, a state must: (1) comply with education voucher program requirements, and (2) make it lawful for parents of an eligible child to elect to enroll their child in any public or private elementary or secondary school in the state or to home-school their child.

No Hungry Kids Act

The bill repeals a specified rule that established certain nutrition standards for the national school lunch and breakfast programs. (In general, the rule requires schools to increase the availability of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or fat free milk in school meals; reduce the levels of sodium, saturated fat, and trans fat in school meals; and meet children's nutritional needs within their caloric requirements.)