School vouchers in Texas appear to be dead, at least for now. Vouchers were a top priority for Gov. Greg Abbott’s top priority in the fourth special session.
The Texas House on Friday voted 84-63 to strip the voucher plan from the massive education bill.
House Bill 1 would have created education savings accounts run by the Texas state comptroller’s office. Students could have gotten just over $10,000 in public dollars for private schools or $1,000 for home-schooling.
During floor debate, supporters said the plan would let parents choose the school best for their child. Opponents argued it would take away funding from public schools.
“Rich parents, rich kids, they already have school choice,” Rep. Ellen Troxclair (R-Lakeway) said. “They can go wherever they want, but this bill does right by our low-income students. It prioritizes disabled students. It priorities low-income students.”
“I am by no means a public education expert, but I believe in my heart that using taxpayer dollars to fund an entitlement program is not conservative and it’s bad public policy,” Rep. John Raney (R-Bryan) said.
The Texas Senate has approved voucher-like measures many times over the years, most recently last week.
These so-called “school choice” plans are a key reason Governor Abbott called lawmakers back for this fourth special session. If the proposal doesn’t pass, he’s threatened to call them back again.