Montpelier, Vermont - Parents gave testimonials at the Statehouse urging lawmakers to make free choice the lay of the land.
"I think this is a social justice issue," says parent Kimberly Barnhart. She lives in Barnard, Vermont and has two kids.
She says low income families especially need free choice because their only options are home school or private school if they do not feel their child is flourishing in their current educational environment.
"We should have everyone enjoying school choice," says parent Kelly Bartlett.
School choice would allow students K-12 to attend any school of their choice no matter where they live.
"We know that children learn differently and this would allow parents of the student to decide what is the best school environment that will allow their child to succeed the best," says Senator Kevin Mullin.
Mullin introduced the bill and says cities and towns in Vermont that don't have schools are allowed free choice. In other counties, however, he says families have to pay tuition if they want to switch schools. In some cases, that can be upwards of $8,000 a year depending on the county.
"In Vermont, we have 90 tuition towns, that's about 33% of the population. Every town should be a tuition town," says Bartlett.
Mullin says they will hear from opponents of the bill in the coming weeks.
"There are some people from the other side who say that small schools could really be hurt by choice because if a few students from a very small school leave, than it doesn't leave many students left," says Mullin.
He says another concern from opponents is transportation—something, he says, they will address as they craft the final bill.
But parents are sticking by their guns and hope the bill will be passed in its entirety.
"Some students are stuck in a school where their only choice is inadequate education," says Barnhart.
"It would increase the quality of education across the board," says parent Marc Whitman.
