Alabama lawmakers have advanced a school voucher-like program that could provide eligible families with state dollars to help pay for private school or home school expenses.
The proposal, called CHOOSE Act, would allow eligible families to receive up to $7,000 in state dollars for private school tuition, tutoring or transfer fees to move to another public school.
Parents could also get up to $2,000 for home school expenses.
Eligibility would initially be limited to families earning up to 300% of the federal poverty level — which would be about $77,460 for a family of three.
The Alabama House of Representatives voted 69-34 Tuesday for the proposal that now moves to the Alabama Senate. Six Republicans joined Democrats in voting against the bill.
