TN parents of children with disabilities worry new law could affect their child’s education

Parents in Tennessee who have children with disabilities say a new law could wipe away their child’s education. The bill would reportedly prevent parents from transferring funds in an IEA account to an ABLE account, which is an educational savings account that can help pay for specialized tutoring, field trips, supplies and their choice of education for a child with disabilities. This comes after lawmakers voted to expand the school voucher program, which gives parents the choice to send their child to private school. The Department of Education said that IEA funds deposited into ABLE accounts are subject to the State of Tennessee Department of Education’s rules, policies, procedures, and/or guidelines related to the use of IEA funds, and any IEA funds deposited into an ABLE account are restricted to eligible educational expenses and required to follow the same IEA program rules.