The battle over education savings accounts begins again today in the Texas Senate, as parents, advocates and teachers prepare for hours of testimony before lawmakers.
The Senate’s priority bill would give parents $8,000 to pay for their children’s private school tuition and education-related expenses such as uniforms and textbooks.
Sen. Brandon Clayton, R-Conroe, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, briefed fellow committee members on a proposal similar to one he introduced during the regular session.
“There can be harmony between making our public schools stronger than ever before…. And if mothers and fathers across this state can’t find what they need and need other options. We guarantee that you will have the opportunity to apply to programs that offer those options,” Clayton said.
But many public school advocates point out that private schools are not required to admit all students, including those with disabilities, and are not held to similar standards of accountability and transparency, and initiatives like vouchers I am against it. On the other hand, private education often costs more than her $8,000.
“The problem for me is that this bill seeks to create a framework in which limited tax dollars can be set aside to subsidize private education without guaranteeing that all voters will be treated equally.” said Senator Jose Menendez. said San Antonio D.
Creighton said his plan would pull $500 million from the general fund without tapping into Foundation School Program funding for public campuses. The funds would be administered by the state Comptroller’s Office, which would also be responsible for auditing the program and preventing fraud.
Under Clayton’s plan, most Texas children would be eligible for Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), but children from low-income families and students with disabilities would be given priority.
In particular, there are some slots available to students who are already enrolled in private schools. Critics of programs like vouchers often lament that state funds flow to people who have already chosen to pay for private education. They liken it to coupons for middle-class and wealthy families.
Menendez and other Democrats used Tuesday’s hearing to slam critics of programs like vouchers.
And they rejected arguments that public school funds would not be diverted. Public schools in Texas are funded based on enrollment. If children opt out because they attend a private campus, the amount allocated to their former public school will be reduced.
The fiscal report released Tuesday acknowledged that funding for local schools “could decrease as a result of this bill as students drop out of public schools to participate in the program.”
Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, said he’s concerned about Texas following in the footsteps of some other states. That means passing a limited voucher-like program now, only to gradually expand it in the near future.
“It’s going to increase,” West said. “We start with poor kids in Texas. It ends up being universal.”
Gov. Greg Abbott has said he wants universal ESA for Texas children.
Republicans lamented that while other states are leading the way in school choice efforts, Texas is lagging behind states like Florida and Arizona. Clayton said one of his benefits of working on the ESA now is that Congress can learn lessons from other programs.
For example, Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) said the anti-fraud measures included in the bill go beyond problems seen elsewhere.
The proposal is expected to pass the Senate as well as the regular Congress. It is expected to face a tough fight in the House of Representatives, which has repeatedly crushed such efforts.
Previous bills had provisions designed to provide economic benefits to rural Republicans, but they are not included in Clayton’s current proposal. It would provide “hold harmless” to very small school districts, paying out thousands of dollars for each student who leaves school using education savings accounts.
Creighton said the cuts were made because the House members didn’t find them attractive enough.
The DMN Education Lab deepens our coverage and conversations about pressing education issues that matter to the future of North Texas.
DMN Education Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative supported by Bobby and Lottie Lyle, Community Foundation of Texas, Dallas Foundation, Dallas Regional Chamber, Dee Dee Rhodes, Garrett and Cecilia Boone, Meadows Foundation, Murrell Foundation, and Solutions. I am receiving support. Journalism Network, Southern Methodist University, Sidney Smith Hicks, University of Texas at Dallas. The Dallas Morning News retains full editorial control over Education Lab’s journalism.