To the dismay of public school supporters and the glee of most Republicans in the retrofitted Texas House, state representatives for the first time ever gave Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick what they so desperately have wanted: a way to get a vouchers passed in the state.
The House cleared its historic hurdle early Thursday with a vote of 85 to 63 approving its version creating a $1 billion voucher school program. Democrats, who all voted against House Bill 3, were outnumbered by Republicans, only two of whom voted against the bill.
Still to come: a conference committee negotiation to come to an agreement between the House and Senate versions. Senate Bill 2 calls for each family to receive $10,000 that could be used for tuition and other costs to enroll in private schools.
The House bill is close but offers a slightly higher figure — $10,893 a year initially — although the amount could change depending on future education spending by the state.
Another difference is how potential students would be prioritized for the education savings program monies. The Senate calls for 80 percent of the state’s set aside going to low income (although this would include a family of four making $156,000 a year) and students with disabilities. However neither bill requires private schools to take such students. Critics say that amount will still come nowhere close to allowing students to access the state’s top private schools. Although many religious schools with their lower tuitions may be more accessible to students and their families now.
Earlier in the day, the House gave preliminary approval to House Bill 2 that increases base public school funding by $395 from $6,160 to $6,555. It also calls for higher salary increases to teacher with more than ten years of experience.
This conflicts with HISD Superintendent Mike Miles new teacher performance payment paln which is not based on years of experience but on how teachers are perceived to have taught in their classrooms. Another potential conflict: House Bill 2 , if finally enacted, limits the employment of teachers without formal classroom training. This would even include Districts of Innovation like HISD which has employed an increasing number of uncertified teachers under Miles.
Statements on both sides of the issue were released in short order.
Texas State Teachers Association President Ovidia Molina wrote:
We are deeply disappointed that the House majority voted for a voucher bill that is an attack on public schools and a slap in the face for millions of Texas students. This bill will make it more difficult for these children and their educators to get the resources they need for classroom success and do real damage to the public education system that is the backbone of our state’s future.
It is absurd for Gov. Abbott and his pro-voucher allies to claim that a diversion of $1 billion in tax funds to private schools over the next budget cycle will not hurt our underfunded public schools, where the vast majority of our students will remain. That voucher drain will increase to $3 billion by 2028 and more than $4 billion by 2030 if this voucher bill becomes law, the Legislative Budget Board projects.
Abbott wrote:
“For the first time in Texas history, our state has passed a universal school choice bill out of both chambers in the Texas Legislature,” said Governor Abbott. “This is an extraordinary victory for the thousands of parents who have advocated for more choices when it comes to the education of their children. Texas could not have accomplished this without the hard work and unwavering support from Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Speaker Dustin Burrows, Chairman Brandon Creighton, and Chairman Brad Buckley. I applaud the legislators who took a stand with the overwhelming majority of Texans who support school choice. When it reaches my desk, I will swiftly sign this bill into law, creating the largest day-one school choice program in the nation and putting Texas on a pathway to becoming the best state in America for educating our kids.”
The Texas House Democratic Caucus continued to argue that the issue should have been taken to the voters. In mid-March a number of people on both sides of the issue came to the Capitol to plead their cases to the House Committee on Education, presided over by chair Brad Buckley (R-Salado). :
In a stunning display of their contempt for the people they serve, House Republicans today blocked an amendment that would have allowed Texas voters to decide the fate of Governor Abbott’s devastatingly unpopular voucher scam. The reason is as clear as it is shameful: House Republicans know that the people of Texas, educators, students, and parents alike, overwhelmingly despise their plan.
Today’s vote exposes the hypocrisy of Republicans who preach about “letting parents choose” while simultaneously denying 18 million registered voters the most fundamental choice of all — the right to vote on whether their tax dollars should fund private schools for the wealthy few. A staggering 90% of Texans believe this decision belongs in the hands of voters, yet Republican lawmakers couldn’t muster the courage to face democratic accountability.
Now, without the chance of a public referendum, Texas families will be forced to watch as Republicans systematically defund their schools to benefit the privileged few. This voucher scam will strip millions from underfunded and closing classrooms across the state, leaving districts with impossible choices: slash essential programs, fire dedicated teachers, or burden homeowners with even higher property taxes.
