Short answer: your Mississippi Equal Opportunity for Students with Special Needs ESA covers more than tuition. Curriculum, educational software, and materials are eligible, and you access it through ClassWallet, with reimbursement available. Mississippi's Special Needs ESA names software outright as an allowable expense, one of the clearest fits in the country. Here is the plain-English version for a struggling reader, and the smartest way to spend it.
The basics
- How much: up to about $6,900 per student.
- Status: active for students with a disability. Amounts and rules shift year to year, so confirm the live number with your program before you buy.
- How you access it: ClassWallet, with reimbursement available. Keep every receipt and your child's progress documentation.
What reading families can buy
- Curriculum and textbooks, including a full structured-literacy reading curriculum.
- Educational software and online learning from approved vendors, the category that stretches your dollars furthest because one annual license covers a full year for every child.
- Tutoring from approved providers. Certified structured-literacy tutors run $80 to $120 an hour, so see what reading tutors cost before you commit.
- Services and therapies for a student with a documented disability such as dyslexia.
One example in the software category
A New Page is a structured-literacy reading program for struggling and dyslexic readers ages 3 to 18, built on the science of reading. A free placement check finds your child's exact level, then explicit phonics is delivered inside illustrated stories they unlock by reading aloud. It is offered as a one-time $399 annual reading-curriculum license that covers every child in the household. Start with the free reading check before you spend anything.
A smart order of operations
- Step 1, free: the free reading check finds your child's exact level and the skill that is breaking down.
- Step 2, $399: a full year of structured-literacy instruction through A New Page, for every child in the family.
- Step 3, the rest: decodable books, the remainder of your curriculum, and targeted tutoring only if the data says you need it.
What you cannot buy
- Anything from a vendor who is not approved in the program. Check before you commit money.
- General household goods and entertainment subscriptions.
- Anything outside the program year's rules. Your Mississippi program office has the final word on every purchase.