Texas Senate school voucher proposal gives families $10,000 for private school

Texas Senate Republicans unveiled their school voucher plan in a signature bill just filed in the Texas Legislature.

Like previous bills that failed to pass, it calls for so-called "education savings accounts," a cash incentive to pull students out of public school to attend private school.

Texas Senate Bill 2

What we know:

In the same week that Texas lawmakers agreed on setting aside more than $4.8 billion in new funding for public education. Of that, $1.2 billion is intended for Texas Senate Bill 2.

"It would create funds that parents could draw on that would pay for tuition at private schools, that they could use to pay for textbooks, explained SMU Political Science Professor Matthew Wilson.

The proposed legislation would provide education savings accounts from taxpayer money for families who are interested in private education over public — up to $10,000 a year per student.

"This would give parents options they would not otherwise have. It allows parents who want their children to perhaps be educated in a religious values system," said Wilson. "It allows parents who are not happy with the quality of their children’s public school, to have a competitive alternative."

Both the Texas House and Senate proposed setting aside about $1 billion to fund the program with higher priorities for lower-income households and kids with special needs.

"Students with disabilities would both have higher priority for participation in the program, and they would be eligible for a bit more funding," said Wilson. "They could get up to $11,500."

The backstory:

The issue is a top priority for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott who took extraordinary political measures after similar legislation previously failed to pass the House.

Vouchers were not just opposed by Democrats; there were Republicans in rural areas with limited access to private schools who also had concerns.

"[Abbott] worked actively to oust members of his own party who had opposed him on school vouchers or educational savings accounts or school choice in the last session, and he was largely successful. He defeated lots of Republican incumbents who were anti-school choice and replaced them with school choice supporters," said Wilson.

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What they're saying:

Republicans now feel as if they have enough votes for it to pass this time around — but still not without a fight.

"The biggest argument that opponents of school choice make is that it will take funds away from public schools. And if people really want quality public schools, they need to focus just on strengthening those institutions," said Wilson.

Opponents also argue that private schools are not fully equipped to handle students with disabilities. 

What's next:

The first round of public hearings on SB 2 is scheduled for next Tuesday.

The Source: Information in this article comes from the text of Senate Bill 2, political analysis by SMU Professor Matthew Wilson and previous FOX 4 coverage.

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