The new bill offers a large increase in funding for public schools as well as academic accountability mechanisms for pupils enrolling in the proposed voucher program, which are two of the primary requests of voucher opponents.
A revised education bill hoping to introduce school vouchers in Texas would offer more money to schools and create academic accountability measures for students in the program, representing the most significant concessions voucher supporters have offered so far to sway skeptics.Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Killeen, released on Friday the reworked House Bill 1, which includes a plethora of increases to public school funding.
Meanwhile, the Senate promptly passed its own school voucher proposal in early October. The program described in Senate Bill 1 would be open to all Texas students but give priority access to low-income students and students with disabilities if there were more applications than funds available. The House has not moved on that bill and it has been stuck without a House committee hearing.
"This one goes full universal from the jump," said Jaime Puente, director of economic opportunity for Every Texan. "The only limitation for the voucher program under the new version is the appropriation limit." Both the Senate and private school advocates have vehemently opposed giving any sort of assessment to students who participate in a voucher program, saying it takes away from private schools' autonomy and amounts to state government interference. Accountability should be left with the parents, they argue.
School districts have been asking lawmakers to increase the basic allotment as inflation has diluted their buying power. Under state law, districts must use a portion of the new basic allotment funds for teacher and staff compensation increases.
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