Governor Greg Abbott suggested that every child in Texas should be provided access to an Education Savings Account (ESAs) which is similar to a voucher program.
According to a published article in Gilmer Mirror, Governor Abbot stated that in 2020, he created a limited Education Savings Account for students with special needs. He said the program has been so successful and it shouldn’t be limited. The Governor said it’s now time to expand ESAs to every child in Texas to help parents choose the best education option for their children.
The legislature is proposing to increase the funding for the program. However, they have historically faced a challenging road in Texas, with opposition by both Democrats and rural Republicans who don’t want to direct state money away from public schools.
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What are Education Savings Accounts?
According to Ed Choice, Education savings accounts or ESAs authorize parents to withdraw their children from public district or charter schools and receive a deposit of public funds into government-authorized savings accounts with restricted, but multiple uses. The funds—which families normally access via an online platform—can cover private school tuition and fees, online learning programs, private tutoring, community college costs, higher education expenses and other approved customized learning services and materials. Some ESAs even allow students to use their funds to pay for a combination of public school courses and private services.
Currently, there are 10 states offering ESAs including Arizona, Florida, Mississippi, and Tennessee who already implemented it.
A new report found that most Texans – regardless of where they live – favored school choice.
School choice has also become synonymous with a voucher program that would let tax dollars slated for education to follow the child rather than be bound to a school or school district. In this program, parents could use state funding to send their children to private or religious schools. Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said school choice was one of their top priorities.
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