Despite Governor Greg Abbott’s confidence that school choice will pass this year, some Texas Democrats, including Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu, argue that the issue remains far from resolved, and public school funding was left in limbo after the last legislative session. In an interview with RA News last week, Wu said, “The 900 pound gorilla in the room is education funding, and I don’t think the public fully appreciates how dire it is. It was already dire in 2023.”
Public education funding was a key issue for lawmakers in the last session. School officials urged the state to allocate more funding per student by increasing the basic allotment, raise teacher salaries, and reform the state’s public school funding formula. However, the Legislature failed to pass a school funding bill or implement vouchers, leaving schools grappling with severe teacher shortages and rising living costs.
“The schools, in the last two years since then, have basically done every single thing they could to survive,” said Wu. “Rural communities have gone from … five days a week down to four days a week. They fired bus drivers, or are having teachers drive the buses instead, and all sorts of things like that, right? And this time, there’s no there’s no safety net anymore, because the schools have used up all their tricks, fired all the people they could fire, cut all the salaries they could cut, and they’re not even sure they’re going to make it as is right now, right? And if we don’t come through and fund public education, it’s done.”
Lack of Consensus on Vouchers
Wu contends that even among pro-voucher legislators, there is no clear agreement on what form a school voucher program should take. “The consensus on the opposition side is clear: no vouchers. But among voucher supporters, there’s no unity on the specifics,” Wu told The Houston Chroncle. This disagreement, he suggests, is why details of the proposed program, which would allow taxpayer funds to cover private and parochial school costs, have yet to emerge.
The legislative session begins Tuesday, and the absence of finalized language for a voucher program comes amid Abbott’s claims that his campaigning and backing of pro-voucher candidates have secured the 76 votes needed to pass the initiative.
Strained Relations with Democrats
Wu criticized Abbott’s approach, describing it as heavy-handed and dismissive of compromise. He pointed to the governor’s use of public school funding and teacher pay raises as leverage during the last legislative session, essentially holding them hostage in a failed bill to pass voucher legislation, a tactic Wu said alienated many lawmakers.
“Abbott’s strategy is all about threats and dictates,” Wu said. “He’s not treating us as equal participants in the process.”
Challenges Within the GOP
Abbott’s success depends on maintaining support from newly elected pro-voucher representatives. Wu questioned whether these lawmakers would remain committed once a specific plan is revealed. “If the plan is too light, it’ll lose hardcore supporters. If it’s too extreme, it’ll alienate moderates,” Wu warned.
Laura Colangelo, executive director of the Texas Private School Association, dismissed claims of internal GOP division. “There is a consensus. We’re just waiting for leadership to finalize the plan,” Colangelo said, referencing the ongoing race for Texas House speaker, which could influence the composition of the education committee and legislative priorities.
Abbott has actively targeted anti-voucher Republicans, fulfilling his promise to primary those who opposed school choice. His efforts led to the defeat of several incumbents in GOP primaries, with Abbott-backed candidates securing key victories. However, some anti-voucher representatives held onto their seats or chose not to seek reelection.
Path Forward
Nathan Cunneen, Texas State Director for the American Federation for Children, expressed optimism that the final legislation would focus on education savings accounts for low-income students and children with special needs while including accountability measures for schools and funds.
However, vouchers in many states are often sold on the promise that they will help underprivileged families, but tend to evolve into programs that primarily benefit the wealthy who are already sending their kids to private schools.
While Abbott has made significant political moves to advance school vouchers, Wu and other critics argue that the program’s future is far from certain. As the legislative session begins, the battle over school choice is set to take center stage, testing the governor’s ability to deliver on his signature policy priority.