Senate Bill 2 would create state-managed education savings accounts that let families use public funds to subsidize private school tuition. Opponents question whether the bill would help low-income families.
The Texas Senate is expected Wednesday to debate the creation of a school voucher program ahead of a possible vote to givepreliminary approval soon after discussion ends. The bill would allow parents to use public taxpayer dollars to fund their children’s private school tuition through a mechanism called education savings accounts.
If the Senate gives the school voucher legislation final approval, the bill would advance to the Texas House, where similar legislation repeatedly hit a brick wall two years ago. The House has not yet filed its own voucher proposal this year. Abbott successfully campaigned against the rural Republicans who helped kill voucher legislation during the 2023 legislative session — with the help of“We are going to make historic investments in our public schools, and we're also going to have school choice pass this session, two things that we can do that are not going to be in conflict with one another,” newly elected House SpeakerBoth the Texas House and Senate have proposed setting aside $1 billion in the next two years for the...
“The greatest form of accountability is parents having the right to move their kids to the education environment that's best for them,” said Nathan Cunneen, the Texas state director for the pro-voucher American Federation for Children. “That's an option that most low-income families do not have today. That's an option that I didn't have when I was growing up. This bill will give them that freedom, and every single student in Texas should be able to take advantage.
Texas Politics Texas Policy Texas Government Economy Public Education Texas Senate Brandon Creighton 89Th Legislative Session School Vouchers
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Texas Senate Passes Bill for Education Savings Accounts, Empowering Parents to Choose Private SchoolsThe Texas Senate has passed a bill to create an education savings accounts program, a major victory for Governor Greg Abbott and school voucher advocates. The program would allocate taxpayer dollars to fund private school tuition and other educational expenses for eligible students. The bill prioritizes low-income families and children with disabilities, but opponents argue it will divert funding from public schools and may not benefit these students adequately.
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Texas Senate pitches expanded private school voucher billThe proposal, a priority of Gov. Greg Abbott, budgets $1 billion over the next two years to fund the private school vouchers.
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Texas Senate begins work on school choice billThe public is invited to testify at the Capitol in Austin on voucher-style legislation allowing taxpayer money for private school education.
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Texas Senate Bill 2 Advances For School Choice ProgramsTexas Senator Brandon Creighton's Senate Bill 2 proposes to allocate taxpayer funds towards private schooling, offering students up to $10,000 for their education. The bill's estimated cost reaches $3.75 billion by the end of the decade, significantly surpassing previous proposals. While the bill is expected to pass the Republican-controlled Senate, the real battle lies in the House of Representatives. Democrats remain opposed, but some are focusing on mitigating the bill's potential drawbacks.
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