Last week, Texas Governor Greg Abbott addressed Annapolis Christian Academy in Corpus Christi on parent empowerment in education. Governor Abbott highlighted how parents need more access to their children’s education. “Public schools play a vital role in the state of Texas,” said Governor Greg Abbott. “I attended public schools my entire life. Growing up in the great state of Texas. And as governor, I provided more funding for public schools than any other governor in the history of our state. I’ve also provided more funding for more teacher pay raises than any other governor in the history of our state. And I can tell you now during this session that’s already begun, we’re going to add even more money to public schools and the teachers this session. But given all that, I think you can agree with me when I say this. It’d be wrong if we said that more money always leads to better results,” said Abbott

The Texas Governor commended the private school for representing the idea of parents should have a say in their child’s education.  “That same mission, that very same vision, it exists in parents in every region of the entire state. And what we have to do as a state, we have to tap into that vision by all of those parents to ensure that every child in Texas gets the education that is right for them.”

Abbott has been critical of the public education system, signing a bill to ban critical race theory and being a proponent of school vouchers. During his speech, Governor Abbott highlighted areas of concern the public has with public schools. Abbott focused his speech on school mandates during Covid, indoctrinating material being taught to children, and the quality of certain schools going down. Abbott says that it is the job of Texas’ leaders to provide the best quality education. “We must reform curriculum, get kids back to the basics of learning, and we must empower parents to be more involved in the education of their children.”

Abbott stated parents deserve to have access to materials and libraries and have respect when raising concerns with school boards. The fundamental principle Abbott put forth was that parents know best about their child’s education, should have the freedom to choose, and be restored as the primary decision-makers in their child’s education.

School vouchers have become controversial in Texas, as many are skeptical about the idea of divesting funds from public schools. In his speech, Governor Abbott gave a little insight into how he might conduct a school voucher program in Texas if passed by the Texas legislature. Governor Abbott talked about Education Savings Accounts.

“We’ve seen them work in other states and we’ve seen them work in the state of Texas also,” said Abbott. “In 2020, I created limited education savings accounts for special needs students. And it’s been so successful. Right now, the Texas Legislature is working to increase funding for that program.”

In 2020, the state of Texas implemented educational savings accounts for special needs students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Governor Abbott is now poised to promote ESAs for all Texas students. 

Education Savings Accounts are when the government takes either a portion or all of the funds that would typically be attributed to a student in public school and put them in an account for the family to use for educational purposes. Parents who take their children out of public or charter schools will receive public funds in a government-authorized account for limited benefits. These funds can be used for multiple usages including “private school tuition and fees, online learning programs, private tutoring, community college costs, higher education expenses and other approved customized learning services and materials.”

There are various forms of Education Savings Accounts around the United States. 

Some are for all students, but others are for only special needs students. Some only do a portion of up to 90% of funds that would typically be attributed to the public school for the student, and some do 100% of the funds. 

There are also tax credit scholarships where parents can receive tax credits for donating money to private education organizations (typically private schools) and scholarship opportunities at the University level. Some states have a spending cap and a student cap on how many students they can accept.

Others have many requirements parents have to sign and qualifications for students to achieve. This is usually passings a state or national test and having prior public education. 

The variety of ESAs still shows that money would be divested from the public education system. Although Governor Abbott has said that public education will not lose funding if school vouchers for implemented. The school vouchers themselves would just take the funds that would ordinarily be spent on the student in the public school for private school purposes.

Governor Abbott focused his promotion of ESAs for all Texas students. “Without education freedom, parents are hindered in helping their own child. That must change and it must change this legislative session,” said Abbott. “The reason why we’re gathered here is that everybody in this room has a role to play. Everybody in this room has a legislator in Austin, Texas. Now is the time that you need to let your legislator know that you stand for Parental Empowerment.”

What people are worried about, is that money the state would send to the public school for the student, will now be taken away. It varies, and Abbott would have to give more details in this area if he wants school vouchers to work.

Other types of ESAs have an income cap of eligibility so that the ESA works for lower and middle-income families. This could relieve opponents and skeptics alike of school vouchers, who think that this would be a way for the rich to get tax breaks and send their children to private school while harming lower and middle-income families who cannot afford private school tuition.

Much of Texas is rural. The local public school is as much of rural Texas culture as anything and many people in a rural community are employed by the local public school. School vouchers do not have the popularity they might need to be passed in Texas because the fear of the public school losing money is very real amongst school districts, which are having their own problems with teachers walking out, mostly for lack of pay.