PA SB969

Establishes the Educational Freedom for Families Program, creating education savings accounts for K-12 students whose household income meets scholarship eligibility criteria and who reside in attendance zones of schools ranked in the bottom 15% of statewide academic performance

Funds each account at the average state per-pupil subsidy level, deposited quarterly, with money portable for use on private school tuition, tutoring, homeschool costs, curriculum materials, educational technology, and transportation to educational providers

Requires the Department of Education to streamline charter and cyber charter school application processes, with priority given to applications serving underserved or underperforming communities

Creates the Teacher Excellence Incentive Fund in the State Treasury to provide salary supplements, bonuses, or student loan forgiveness to teachers based on objective improvements in PSSA/SAT/ACT scores, student growth, GPA increases, and graduation rates

Takes effect July 1, 2026, with the Department of Education responsible for administering accounts, conducting annual audits, maintaining approved provider lists, and enforcing penalties including account termination and fraud referrals for fund misuse