HR-4901 : Still Just a Bill

Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Reauthorization Act or the SOAR Reauthorization Act

This bill repeals the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program School Certification Requirements Act, as contained in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016.

The Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act (SOAR) is amended to limit its focus to students in the lowest-performing Washington, DC, elementary and secondary schools.

The Department of Education (ED) shall not limit the number of eligible students receiving Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP) scholarships, or prevent otherwise eligible students from participating in the OSP because of:

• the type of school the student previously attended;
• whether or not the individual previously received the scholarship or participated in OSP, including one previously awarded a scholarship who did not use it; or
• was a member of the control group used by the Institute of Education Sciences to carry out previous OSP evaluations.

An eligible nonprofit organization's application for an OSP grant must include how it will ensure:

• the financial viability of a participating school in which 85% or more of enrolled students receive and use an opportunity scholarship,
• utilization of internal fiscal and quality controls and compliance with financial reporting requirements.

Priorities for the award of scholarships are modified to give priority to:

• students who in the preceding school year attended a low-achieving elementary or secondary school, and
• certain students regardless of whether they have attended a private school.

OSP-participating schools must:

• ensure that participating students are taught core subject matter by a teacher with a baccalaureate or equivalent degree,
• conduct criminal background checks on school employees who have direct and unsupervised interactions with students, and
• comply with all requests for data and information regarding certain reporting requirements.

Participating private schools must be provisionally or fully accredited or in the process of seeking accreditation.

ED must make OSP funds available to eligible entities receiving a grant for administrative expenses and parental education and assistance.

Previously unobligated OSP funds must be used for additional scholarships (95%) and administrative expenses (5%).

The bill revises current OSP evaluation procedures.

The specified authorized OSP funds that ED may withhold for noncompliance with SOAR requirements shall be differentiated based on whether the noncompliance relates to the DC public schools, to the DC public charter schools, or to both.

Funds provided under this Act to support DC public charter schools may be directed to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education for transfer to subgrantee public charter schools or networks of such schools, or DC-based non-profit organizations with successful experience with them.

ED and the Mayor shall revise a specified memorandum of understanding to ensure that participating schools meet fire code standards and maintain certificates of occupancy.

The bill reauthorizes the OSP through FY2021.