This opinion piece appeared in The Hill.

As the coronavirus lockdowns unwind, America has started heading back to work. And before we know it, our students may be heading back to school. After a lost semester that disrupted classes and cancelled athletic seasons, proms and graduation ceremonies, the where, when and how students go back to school remain difficult open questions for parents, students and teachers.   

Families, of course, already are trying to answer those questions for the coming school year and beyond — and perhaps Washington can offer some much-needed help. 

The uncertainty facing students and schools will require them to be uniquely flexible as classes resume. Federally funded education savings accounts, or ESAs, can provide some additional flexibility for families looking to navigate these turbulent waters with their K-12 children.  

ESAs are special accounts funded with public education dollars that families can spend on a wide range of educational products and services, including computers, education software, online courses, tutoring and curriculum enhancements. They give parents control of the government-paid share of their child’s education, and thus enhance flexibility for families and teachers to design more personalized learning programs and environments tailored to meeting a student’s individual educational needs. And because unused ESA funds can be rolled over from year to year, they give families incentives to search for the best educational services at the most competitive price.

The Buckeye Institute has recommended such cost-effective, tailored flexibility to augment the traditional K-12 classroom for some time, but families need the benefits of well-designed ESA programs now more than ever. 

Read the full piece on The Hill's website.