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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 21 (Monday, February 3, 2025)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 8859-8860]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-02233]



                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 90 , No. 21 / Monday, February 3, 2025 / 
Presidential Documents

[[Page 8859]]

                Executive Order 14191 of January 29, 2025

                
Expanding Educational Freedom and Opportunity for 
                Families

                By the authority vested in me as President by the 
                Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
                America, and to improve the education, well-being, and 
                future success of America's most prized resource, her 
                young citizens, it is hereby ordered:

                Section 1. Purpose. Parents want and deserve the best 
                education for their children. But too many children do 
                not thrive in their assigned, government-run K-12 
                school. According to this year's National Assessment of 
                Educational Progress (NAEP), 70 percent of 8th graders 
                were below proficient in reading, and 72 percent were 
                below proficient in math. Moreover, geographically 
                based school assignments exacerbate the cost of housing 
                in districts with preferred schools, straining the 
                finances of millions of American families sacrificing 
                for their children's futures.

                When our public education system fails such a large 
                segment of society, it hinders our national 
                competitiveness and devastates families and 
                communities. For this reason, more than a dozen States 
                have enacted universal K-12 scholarship programs, 
                allowing families--rather than the government--to 
                choose the best educational setting for their children. 
                These States have highlighted the most promising avenue 
                for education reform: educational choice for families 
                and competition for residentially assigned, government-
                run public schools. The growing body of rigorous 
                research demonstrates that well-designed education-
                freedom programs improve student achievement and cause 
                nearby public schools to improve their performance.

                Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of my Administration 
                to support parents in choosing and directing the 
                upbringing and education of their children.

                Sec. 3. Guidance on Supporting State-based K-12 
                Educational Choice. Within 60 days of the date of this 
                order, the Secretary of Education shall issue guidance 
                regarding how States can use Federal formula funds to 
                support K-12 educational choice initiatives.

                Sec. 4. Encouraging Education Freedom through 
                Discretionary Grant Programs. (a) The Secretary of 
                Education shall include education freedom as a priority 
                in discretionary grant programs, as appropriate and 
                consistent with applicable law.

                    (b) Within 90 days of the date of this order, the 
                Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education shall 
                review their respective discretionary grant programs 
                and each submit a plan to the President, through the 
                Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, that 
                identifies, evaluates, and makes recommendations 
                regarding using relevant discretionary grant programs 
                to expand education freedom for America's families and 
                teachers.

                Sec. 5. Expanding Opportunities for Low-Income, Working 
                Families. Within 90 days of the date of this order, the 
                Secretary of Health and Human Services shall issue 
                guidance regarding whether and how States receiving 
                block grants for families and children from the 
                Department, including the Child Care and Development 
                Block Grant (CCDGB), can use them to expand educational 
                choice and support families who choose educational 
                alternatives to governmental entities, including 
                private and faith-based options.

                Sec. 6. Helping Military Families. Within 90 days of 
                the date of this order, the Secretary of Defense shall 
                review any available mechanisms under which

[[Page 8860]]

                military-connected families may use funds from the 
                Department of Defense to attend schools of their 
                choice, including private, faith-based, or public 
                charter schools, and submit a plan to the President 
                describing such mechanisms and the steps that would be 
                necessary to implement them beginning in the 2025-26 
                school year.

                Sec. 7. Helping Children Eligible for Bureau of Indian 
                Education (BIE) Schools. Within 90 days of the date of 
                this order, the Secretary of the Interior shall review 
                any available mechanisms under which families of 
                students eligible to attend BIE schools may use their 
                Federal funding for educational options of their 
                choice, including private, faith-based, or public 
                charter schools, and submit a plan to the President 
                describing such mechanisms and the steps that would be 
                necessary to implement them for the 2025-26 school 
                year. The Secretary shall report on the current 
                performance of BIE schools and identify educational 
                options in nearby areas.

                Sec. 8. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order 
                shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or 
the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

                    (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with 
                applicable law and subject to the availability of 
                appropriations.
                    (c) This order is not intended to, and does not, 
                create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, 
                enforceable at law or in equity by any party against 
                the United States, its departments, agencies, or 
                entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any 
                other person.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    January 29, 2025.

[FR Doc. 2025-02233
Filed 1-31-25; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P
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