HB 2967 – New school health care subsidy

HB 2967 mandates new bureaucratic reporting by public schools and creates a new annual entitlement under the school finance formula for vision-related services. While well-meaning, this bill adds $35 million in new spending over the next two years, with tens of millions every year there after, without clear accountability or proven outcomes. It shifts education funding further toward social services, straying from the core mission of academic instruction. Reimbursing parents and subsidizing vision care creates a healthcare-style entitlements administered through the education system. The bill adds administrative burdens on school districts to track and report personal student health data. This program expands government’s role in personal medical issues at taxpayer expense. For these reasons, TFR opposes HB 2967