Texas Lawmakers Push for School Choice: A New Era for Education?

Texas is buzzing with talk about school choice. The state's House Speaker, Dustin Burrows, recently declared that this legislative session is all about pushing for a private-school voucher program. He believes that the time has finally come for families to have more options in education. Burrows made these remarks at a policy summit. This event was hosted by the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a well-known conservative think tank based in Austin. He was surrounded by organizers, activists, and party supporters who have been waiting for this moment for a long time. House Bill 3, introduced by House Education Committee Chairman Brad Buckley, is at the heart of this debate. This bill proposes education savings accounts, worth around $10, 000, that families can use to cover private-school costs. Special needs students and low-income families will get priority, and there are plans to tie the program's growth to increases in public education funding. Burrows also mentioned House Bill 2, which focuses on public school finance. He emphasized that this bill will make significant investments in public education. He sees these two bills as a "two-step solution" to education reform, arguing that school choice doesn't harm public schools but rather adds more options for families. The Texas Senate has already passed its version of a voucher-style program. However, the House and Senate versions differ in how they prioritize applicants and the amount of money in the education savings accounts. Burrows believes that school choice can coexist with well-funded public schools. He thinks that families deserve options, and schools need resources. He also promised cuts to property and business taxes, more support for small businesses, and stronger career technical and trade training for students who don't plan to go to college. Opponents of school choice argue that these programs divert money from public schools, which are accessible to more students and cannot turn away children based on anything other than geography. They believe that Republicans should focus on fixing the underfunded public school system instead of diverting students and draining funding. The Texas Policy Summit also featured other political heavyweights, including Governor Greg Abbott and U. S. Senator Ted Cruz. Burrows' speech left no doubt about his stance on school choice, following several days of his making brief statements of support on social media and in interviews. The push for school choice in Texas is not new. For decades, the Texas House has resisted passing a school choice program. Governor Abbott spent millions on campaign donations to oust Republican opponents of school choice during last year’s primaries, replacing 11 GOP “no” votes in the Texas House with supporters. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who has been a strong advocate for school choice, expressed confidence that the Legislature will come together on a plan to send to Governor Abbott. He said he had not finished reading the House school choice bill, “but it looks good so far. ” Whether the House can pass school choice before the session ends in June is a key issue. Burrows' opponent, Rep. David Cook, had criticized him for not coming out forcefully on the issue before House members chose a speaker on the legislative session’s opening day.