School voucher funding has been blocked by the Texas House of Representatives in a significant setback to Gov. Greg Abbott’s education agenda. The governor had been pushing for a “school choice” initiative to provide parents with state-funded private school tuition subsidies. However, the House voted 86-52 in favor of State Rep. Abel Herrero’s amendment to the state budget, which prohibits the budget from funding any school voucher program, KXAN reported.
Why Does School Voucher Funding Block by Texas House?
Rep. Herrero argued that public funds should be used for public schools, as stated in the Texas Constitution. He urged members to support public school teachers, neighborhood schools, and public charter schools by voting for the amendment. The House rejected Chair of the House Public Education Committee Brad Buckley’s motion to table the amendment, stating that the issue should be debated in committee.
Meanwhile, the Texas Senate is projected to easily pass Gov. Abbott’s “Parental Bill of Rights,” also known as Senate Bill 8. This bill would create “education savings accounts” (ESAs) to subsidize some families’ educational costs. Parents who wish to transfer their children from public school to private school would be eligible to receive $8,000 from the state. However, senators were still questioning the author as of Thursday evening.
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School Choice in Texas
Abbott has been advocating for the “school choice” initiative and investing significant personal capital in the issue. The bill passed out of the Senate Education Committee on a partisan 10-2 vote, but it remains to be seen whether it will be able to pass through the House after the recent setback.
The debate over school vouchers is a contentious one, with supporters arguing that parents should have the right to choose where their children receive their education, and opponents arguing that public funds should not be used to subsidize private schools. This debate will likely continue in Texas and other states in the coming years.
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