The “School Choice” bill has come and gone five times through the Texas Senate and House, continually failing in the House. Senator Brandon Creighton has proposed it once again, successfully getting it through the senate this year. Brown County’s own senator, Phil King, has sponsored the bill alongside Creighton and others, saying that SB 2 provides parents with financial freedom to choose the best education option for their child. Even with a Republican majority in both chambers, prominent groups in Texas oppose the bill.
WHAT VOUCHER DO THEY PROPOSE?
NBCDFW reported earlier this year that the Texas Senate had passed SB 2 with a 19-12 majority supporting its proposal to allow families to use taxpayer dollars to fund private tuition or necessary homeschooling materials. The program specifically proposes the implementation of Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) – a state-funded account, using taxpayer dollars, for each family that wishes to participate in the program. It is estimated that each student would receive $10,000 annually, and homeschooled children would receive $2,000.
The 2025 version of the bill suggests a $1 billion budget to fund 100,000 students. The Legislative Budget Board made a fiscal note, as mentioned by Texas AFT, that SB 2 will cost Texas $4 billion annually by 2030. When another version of the bill was presented in 2023, the proposed budget was $500 million less than it is now. If the demand of the program exceeds the established fund, sponsors say that 80% of the fund would first prioritize students with disabilities or families with an income base of less than $160,000.
WHAT ARE THE STIPULATIONS?
Any child will be eligible for the program, as Governor Greg Abbott has upheld that any voucher program must have universal eligibility. With that, participants are not required to take state-standardized tests, like the STAAR test; however, they will be required to take nationally recognized tests like the SAT.
In terms of what the ESAs are allowed to cover, parents may apply their fund toward private school tuition, tutoring, instructional materials, etc. The bill’s plan text highlights “approved expenses”. In the event of fraud or the misuse of funds, the state will be required to refer any organizations or individuals administering the program in a prohibited fashion to local authorities. Participating organizations must also notify parents that private schools will not be required to comply with state or federal laws concerning special education programs outlined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Lt. Governor of Texas, Dan Patrick, stated that this is the “biggest launch of any universal school choice program in American history”. Participation in the program is completely voluntary however, opposition comes in large waves from teachers’ unions, rural communities and homeschooling communities.
HOME SCHOOL OPPOSITION
Arguably the biggest wave of opposition comes from homeschooling communities in Texas. The Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute reported in 2024 that homeschooling rates had increased to 57% since 2018. In 2020 alone, an estimated 30,000 students were pulled out of 7th-12th grades in public schools to become homeschooled. The Texas Public Policy Foundation conducted a data analysis and found that between 2020 – 2021 there were nearly 480,000 homeschooled children in Texas. That is 200,000 more than privately enrolled students.
With such a large presence, homeschooling communities have a large voice when it comes to education vouchers. Jeremy Newman, the Vice President of Policy with the Texas Home School Coalition told the Texas Tribune that the proposed ESAs could be extremely useful for these families. Those who choose to homeschool must incur the cost of textbooks, elective activities, co-op memberships/subscriptions, etc.; and many affirm that the financial burden to homeschool is difficult. Faith Bussey, the President of Texans for Home School Freedom, also spoke to the Texas Tribune stating that there currently are no regulations on homeschooling in Texas and there is a concern that accepting taxpayer money in the form of a state voucher could increase the potential for regulations.
Bussey mentioned how it is within the nature of the government to seek to regulate so, many families are not convinced by politicians’ claims that there is no government oversight intended to regulate.
PUBLIC EDUCATION OPPOSITION
Public education also faces many concerns with state-managed vouchers. In the last Texas legislative session, 21 members representing rural school districts opposed the school choice bill because they believed it would undercut funding for public schools. They argue that most rural districts do not have private institutions that would reap the benefits of voucher programs, leaving their public schools lacking more than before. Although sponsors stated that money would not be taken from the same fund that public schools draw from, many argue that these vouchers will obtain money that could be applied to those funds. Why siphon public dollars away from public schools? Public schools receive money based on attendance so theoretically, opposers say they will lose funding for every student who leaves under the voucher program.
Texas public education is currently facing a multi-million-dollar budget deficit, with numerous campuses closing and large teacher shortages. Many are concerned about what harm this will do to teacher’s salaries given that Texas is already ranked 30th for the average teacher salary rate, according to the National Education Association. Governor Greg Abbott has said that he will not sign a bill intended to increase public education funding unless the House passes an education voucher program.
Texas AFT broke down the difference of state funds given to families who would participate in the program versus those given to students in public schools. It’s estimated that Texas allots $6,160 per student enrolled in Texas public schools. If a student is already enrolled in private school or would like to be, the state would give them $10,000 annually through the voucher. If said student has a disability, they would be allotted $11,000. If a student wanted to homeschool through tutoring, dual credit or other alternatives, they would receive $2,000.
Many people are specifically opposed to the funding of students with disabilities to attend private schools because, the bill’s plan text explicitly states that private schools are not obligated to comply with the federal special education laws that public schools are required to comply with. Because of this, opposers argue that students with special needs will not receive the educational care they specifically need.
WIDESPREAD OPPOSTION
Overall, many people are concerned about the state using taxpayer dollars to fund these subsidies while undercutting public school funding. Raise Your Hand Texas stated that in states like Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Ohio and Wisconsin, the concerns surrounding voucher programs have become a reality.
From 2008 – 2019, these states have had the most extensive voucher programs. All of them have either significantly reduced or frozen their investment in public education on a per-student basis (Florida being the worst with a -12% investment rate). In all seven, their allotted GDP apportioned for K-12 investments have declined based on an education-effort ranking. Georgia fell from ranking at 8th to 13th, and Arizona falling from 38th to 50th (dead last). Texas currently ranks at the bottom of 10 states in the country in terms of per-pupil funding in public education. The state has an estimated 5.5 million students total.
WHAT DO SUPPORTERS SAY?
The Heritage Foundation reports that 10 states have already implemented universal education choice programs – prime examples being Iowa, Indiana and Oklahoma. They state that choice policies allow parents to make decisions that best serve their child’s specific learning needs. Since the implementation of these programs, it is reported that there are no encroachments that concern most homeschooling families in Texas. Supporters of education vouchers mention that if the government (whether local or federal) wanted to regulate homeschooling, they would be able to do so without any funding or instituted program.
MORE ABOUT VOUCHERS
- Traditional Vouchers strip money directly from public schools and offer it in the form of a grant to students wanting to attend private schools.
- Tax-Credit Scholarships are made when the state funnels tax credits to corporations or individuals who will then donate the fund to scholarship organizations that pay students to attend private schools.
- Education Savings Accounts (ESAs proposed in Texas) are taxpayer funded accounts that offer parents with the monetary support to enroll their child in private school or other educational services.
- Special Education Grants target a certain portion of students with disabilities and/or private vendors. They divert public school funds to private vendors.
RESEARCH:
SB 2
NBCDFW
CBS News
Dallas Express
Texas Tribune
Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute
The Heritage Foundation
American Experiment – North Dakota
Raise Your Hand Texas
Reform Austin
Texas AFT
Engage by EdChoice
USA Today
NEAToday
Stateline
Lt. Governor of Texas
SOS Arizona Network
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities