Cruz & Banks Seek to Give School Choice to Military Families in New Bill

WASHINGTON — Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Jim Banks, R-Ind., introduced the Education Savings Accounts for Military Families Act on April 1, a bill aimed at giving military parents more control over their children’s education. The legislation, which amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, would allow eligible military families to opt into Military Education Savings Accounts, providing $6,000 annually per child to fund personalized learning options outside the public school system.

The bill targets families with a parent on active duty in the uniformed services, excluding National Guard officers activated for duty. To qualify initially, a child must have been enrolled in a public school for at least 100 consecutive days in the prior year. Funds can cover private school tuition, online programs, tutoring, educational therapies, and even college savings contributions. Unused amounts roll over year-to-year, with leftovers after high school applicable to higher education or vocational training.

Cruz, a longtime advocate for school choice, framed the bill as a practical fix for military families often caught between service and education needs. “Parents should never have to choose between serving their country and ensuring their children have access to a quality education,” he told The Daily Signal. Banks, a Navy Reserve officer, co-sponsored the measure, having previously supported a similar bill in 2023 when he was in the House.

Ryan Walker, executive vice president of Heritage Action, called it a necessary step. “Military families deserve the freedom and flexibility to educate their children in alignment with their values and unique needs,” he said. The group’s backing underscores the bill’s appeal to those who see school choice as a way to counter one-size-fits-all education models.

The legislation isn’t without limits. If funding falls short, priority goes to renewing existing accounts, with a lottery system favoring siblings of current recipients and children of enlisted members over those of officers. The initial $1.2 billion authorization for fiscal year 2026 would rise annually with inflation.

School choice programs, objectively, tend to benefit students by fostering competition and tailoring education to individual needs. Data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress shows public school performance stagnating, while private and charter options often yield better outcomes, especially for underserved groups and lower-income families. Military families, frequently relocated and therefore stuck with underperforming district schools, stand to gain considerably from this flexibility.

The bill avoids heavy-handed federal oversight, barring the Department of Education from meddling in private providers’ curricula or practices—a nod to concerns about government overreach. It’s a pragmatic move, not a panacea. For military parents, it’s a chance to sidestep a system that consistently fails to serve their kids. 

As a former teacher, administrator, and education policy advisor, I’ve heard Cruz say “school choice is the civil rights issue of the 21st century” more than a few times—but there’s far more to the parents’ rights momentum than warm platitudes and social media posts. 

If Democrats, moving further to the left on social issues, choose to stand obstinately against this bill, it will be yet another 80-20 issue where they resolutely cling to the wrong side.

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