AUSTIN, Texas — As students across our area start a new school year, there’s a debate brewing at the state capital over school vouchers, a system that would help determine where students go to school.
Essentially, some lawmakers want to use public funding to help send students to private schools, which not everyone is on board with.
The state’s education committee met Monday to discuss the voucher system, or education savings accounts, which many educators were upset about because they were in school to welcome students back and were unable to attend.
The committee heard from experts in other states like Utah where the voucher system is in effect offering $8,000 scholarships this year.
Those supporting the school voucher proposal have long said that Texans deserve to choose where children go to school, however, those opposing it say it would harm the state’s public school system.
“Such financial support is a game changer,” testified Robyn Gabley from the organization Utah Education Fits All. “It has significantly democratized access to diverse educational settings, allowing parents to customize options that better align with their values, their expectations and their children's unique needs."
“I think that the results of the election show that Texans generally are still not interested in vouchers,” countered Mark Wigginson with the Texas Association of Educators. “You know, all of the polling results that we have, have shown that is something that is very far down on folks' priority level."
Last year, Democrats and rural Republicans blocked a voucher plan that would have allowed families to use state funding to send kids to private schools.
Some Republicans hope to have another chance to pass the legislation next year.