The Texas Senate unveiled a major proposal on Friday to create an education savings accounts (ESA) program, marking a significant effort to prioritize school choice in the 89th legislative session. Backed by Governor Greg Abbott, the bill aims to address a top Republican priority that failed to pass in the previous session.
The proposal, Senate Bill 2, co-authored by Senator Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe), would provide $10,000 per student annually for private school tuition and related expenses, with $11,500 allocated for students with disabilities. Homeschooling families would receive $2,000.
“This session, we are fully committed to passing universal, comprehensive school choice legislation, ensuring every Texas family has access to the educational opportunities they deserve,” Creighton said in a statement. “It’s time for Texas to join the 32 other states that already empower parents and students with greater educational freedom.”
School vouchers, often called “school choice” programs, allocate taxpayer funds to assist families in covering private school tuition. Similarly, education savings accounts function as a voucher-like system, enabling families to access state-managed funds for private school costs and other education-related expenses.
Here are the details of the bill according to his statement:
1. Eligibility
– Universal Access: Every Texas student may apply and, if accepted, participate in the ESA program—whether they are entering school for the first time, currently enrolled in public school, or currently enrolled in private school or homeschool.
2. Prioritization
– If applications do not exceed the program’s capacity, all eligible students are accepted.
– If applications exceed capacity, 80% of available positions will be filled by lottery among students who previously attended public school and are either from low-income households or have a disability. The remaining slots will be filled by lottery among all other eligible applicants.
3. Allocation per Student
– Base Funding: Each participating student will receive at least $2,000 per year in their ESA.
– Private School Funding: If a family elects to enroll their child in an accredited private school, that student will receive $10,000 per year—or $11,500 per year if the student has a disability.
Critics argue the program may not significantly help low-income families or students with disabilities, as many private schools lack specialized services.
Chandra Villanueva, director of policy and advocacy at Every Texan, voiced concerns about affordability for low-income families, even with the ESA funds. “Most low-income families won’t be able to afford the tuition gap for a private school,” she told The Texas Tribune, noting that some private institutions might not offer services significantly better than public schools.
The program is part of the Senate’s budget proposal, which allocates $1 billion over two years. While the funding wouldn’t directly cut public school budgets, schools could lose money tied to student attendance. Public school teachers may see pay raises of up to $10,000 in rural areas.
The proposal arrives alongside plans to allocate $4.85 billion in new funding for public schools. The Senate is also pushing for significant teacher pay increases, proposing a $4,000 raise for all teachers and an additional $6,000 for rural educators. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick highlighted this plan as a step toward closing the salary gap between urban and rural teachers.
In the previous legislative session, public schools were denied significant funding after the proposal became tied to a voucher-like program. The Texas House resisted, insisting that vouchers, if popular, should stand alone in separate legislation. In the end, the significant funding bill died due to the voucher proposal. As a result, school districts statewide faced multimillion-dollar budget deficits, campus closures, declining enrollment, expired pandemic relief funds, rising inflation, and teacher shortages.
This year, the political landscape has shifted. Gov. Abbott actively campaigned against rural Republicans who opposed his voucher proposal, paving the way for its passage in the current session.
Public schools would not see direct funding cuts under the program, as the ESA funds would come from a separate budget pool. However, schools stand to lose funding tied to student attendance if students transfer to private schools under the program.
“Long term all public schools will be impacted as the budget for private school vouchers balloon in suburban areas and the legislature designates all education funding to come from the same pot,” David Maass, Superintendent of Grapeland ISD told RA News. “Politicians tell people what they want to hear now so they can get elected, not what their ultimate goals are in the future.”
The Senate Education Committee will hold a public hearing on the ESA proposal on Tuesday, setting the stage for one of the most contentious debates of the session.