Special purpose schools; require scholarship amounts to equal ESA amounts.

HB 1704 would require Mississippi's dyslexia therapy scholarships and speech-language therapy scholarships to match the annual funding amount provided under the state's Educational Scholarship Account (ESA) program. Specifically, it amends Sections 37-173-13 and 37-175-13 to set therapy scholarship amounts equal to the ESA amount ($6,500 for 2015-2016, adjusted annually). These scholarships would fund students with dyslexia or speech-language impairments attending nonpublic schools, with payments made in installments by the State Department of Education. The bill does not change ESA eligibility rules but aligns therapy program funding with the ESA structure. (Note: The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026.)