SOAR Act Improvements Act

This bill updates the District of Columbia’s school choice scholarship program. It lets the main grant last longer and be renewed without a new competition to keep services running smoothly. It opens funds to cover pre-K tuition and adds tutoring for students who need extra help, with priority for kids coming from the city’s lowest‑performing schools when money is tight . It tightens rules so participating private schools must be accredited (new schools get up to five years to finish), and it allows the program to set a lower maximum scholarship amount if needed . The bill also updates testing and long‑term studies of the program, including national tests and public reports every seven years starting in 2027, with a focus on student progress, graduation, college outcomes, and school safety . It trims some items the program must report each year and extends and reshapes funding through 2032, changing how the money is split across parts of the program.

• Who is affected

  • DC students and families using or seeking private school scholarships; students needing tutoring support.
  • Private schools that take scholarship students (must meet accreditation timelines).
  • The program administrator and its board, which can now include members from the wider Washington metro area (DC, nearby MD and VA counties/cities).
  • Federal researchers who run tests and evaluations.

• What changes

  • Longer grant terms with possible renewals; more flexible scholarship caps .
  • Funds can cover pre‑K and tutoring; priority tutoring for students from the lowest‑performing schools if funds are limited .
  • Nationally norm‑referenced testing allowed; evaluations every seven years starting in 2027; clearer measures of student results and safety .
  • Annual reports are simplified by removing some incident reporting items; funding is authorized through 2032 with a revised split among program parts.

• When

  • New evaluations and what they review start two years after the bill becomes law; the first public evaluation report is due by January 1, 2027, then every seven years .
  • Updated annual reporting rules apply to school years beginning on or after the bill becomes law.
  • Funding authorization changes apply starting in fiscal year 2024 and run through 2032.