AUSTIN – Texas Republicans have only a few days left to hash out disagreements over whether the state should funnel public money toward private schools.
Late on Tuesday, the Senate approved legislation tying a voucher-like program to a larger bill targeting teacher pay raises and school finance reforms. But whether this proposal has legs in the House remains to be seen as lawmakers there have repeatedly swatted down similar efforts.
If the two chambers don’t agree on an expansive school choice plan, Gov. Greg Abbott has threatened to bring them back to Austin this summer for a special session.
The Senate’s last-minute maneuver to revive education savings accounts before regular session ends on Memorial Day also includes a slew of provisions, including a revamp of teachers’ salary schedule, more money for educator mentoring and pay raises for those who prove effective at their jobs. It would also raise the basic allotment schools receive per student by $50.
Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas, tried unsuccessfully to strip the voucher-like language from the bill, saying it threatens to tank the rest of the education proposals.
“If people are outside looking in,” he said. “I’m afraid they’re going to think we’re irresponsible if we’re weighing down… all the good work we’ve done with something that is so controversial – whether you’re right or wrong about it – it’s not going to pass.”
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Brandon Creighton, countered that it’s “extremely appropriate to connect all of these subjects together.”
“Our moms and dads deserve the option,” the Conroe Republican said.
The catch-all legislation comes as state leaders work to convince the GOP-led House to sign off on providing families with thousands of dollars to spend on private school tuition.
Similar proposals have repeatedly died in the lower chamber – this year and in prior sessions.
Rural Republicans and Democrats united in opposition, saying any voucher-like program takes money away from public schools and gives those funds instead to unaccountable private institutions with high tuition costs and no mandate to serve every student.
While the Senate passed a school choice plan this year, the House did not take it up.
So this week, the Senate Education Committee attached its proposal to a different bill – one that would allocate more money for teachers raises and provide a small bump to the basic allotment, which is the amount of money schools receive for each child who attends.
Public education advocacy groups slammed the move, which they characterized as shoe-horning vouchers into a needed effort to give public schools more money.
“The Texas Senate appears unwilling to invest in public schools unless legislators are willing to send hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars per year to private schools as well,” Texas School Coalition director Christy Rome said. “A bill that was meant to put more dollars into public education has been hijacked.”
Creighton has argued that education savings accounts, or ESAs, are needed to empower parents to select the best school for their children.
The bill the Senate voted on Tuesday would have a wide-ranging impact, including giving a small raise to the basic allotment from its current $6,160 per-student level.
District administrators want lawmakers to add $1,000 to the figure, saying a dramatic boost is necessary to keep up with inflation.
The school choice component of the bill would provide $8,000 per student for families to spend on private school tuition or other expenses, such as textbooks and uniforms.
Eligible students must have previously attended public school or be just starting their education. Also eligible for limited spots would be students already enrolled in private schools if their household income is at or below 200% of the poverty line.
Should more families apply for an education savings account than funding could cover, students would be prioritized based on whether they attend public schools with a lower academic rating from the Texas Education Agency.
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