The Children’s Educational Opportunity Act Can Save California’s Children

It’s a revenue-neutral approach that allows families, especially low-income families, to get their children out of the state’s failing public school system.

Robin M. Itzler | March 11, 2026

If you or someone you know lives in California and has schoolchildren, ask them whether they would welcome receiving $17,000 per child each year to send their child(ren) to a private or religious school rather than to a failing neighborhood public school!

It could happen. The Children’s Educational Opportunity (CEO) Act is a proposed statewide ballot measure for November 2026 that is currently gathering the required voter signatures to qualify, but there are just a few days remaining before the March 31 deadline. Educator and former Thousand Oaks Mayor, Kevin McNamee, is the lead proponent for the 2026 statewide ballot initiative that puts the parents in charge of where their child attends school.

The CEO Act would amend the California Constitution to establish state-controlled Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) for every K–12 student, funded from existing Proposition 98 dollars that voters previously earmarked for education. Participation in the CEO Act is entirely optional. Each year, the state would deposit approximately $17,000 per student into a child’s ESA. Parents would then choose among all education options, including private schools, faith-based schools, and homeschooling.

Parents never handle the money directly. Once they select an eligible school, the ESA trust sends tuition payments straight to that institution, with any unused funds remaining in the account and earning interest. For example, if a kindergarten charges $7,000 per year, that amount flows from the ESA to the school, and the remaining $10,000 stays in the account to grow for future educational expenses. Unused ESA funds roll over annually, can be used after 12th grade for accredited trade schools, community colleges, universities, or postgraduate education, and, after age 18, may be transferred to a family member’s ESA or donated to an eligible school.

Crucially, the CEO Act is designed to be revenue-neutral. It does not raise taxes; instead, it reallocates existing Proposition 98 dollars so that funds follow the student rather........

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