On Wednesday, Texas senators held their first meeting to discuss education savings accounts, a program proposed by Governor Greg Abbott that would allow parents to use taxpayer money to pay for their children’s private schooling if they opt out of the public education system.
Texas Senate Bill 8
More than 380 supporters and opponents attended the Senate Committee on Education meeting and signed up to testify on Senate Bill 8, authored by state Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe. Through the program, which would deposit up to $8,000 per student into these accounts to be used on private school tuition, tutors, uniforms, and other approved educational expenses, supporters have framed education savings accounts as a tool to give parents more choices when deciding how and where to educate their children.
But the program has faced staunch opposition from Democrats and rural Republicans, who worry using state money to pay for private schooling will result in less funding for public schools in areas with fewer education options, according to a published article in Texas Tribune.
Critics say the program would worsen the enrollment declines Texas school districts have experienced in recent years, which could mean less funding as districts receive state dollars based on student attendance.
However, supporters like Bishop Michael Olson of the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth say Creighton’s bill would empower parents to choose other educational options and that legislators should consider adding provisions that prioritize benefiting low-income families.
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Result of Survey from the University of Texas
A University of Texas at Austin survey found that 46% of voters supported education savings accounts, while 41% opposed them, but the issue was not a high priority for voters, as those surveyed felt that school safety, teacher compensation, and curriculum were more important. Senators intend to allocate about half a billion dollars to the savings account program, estimating that about 60,000 students will use it in the first two years.
In a published article in KSAT, Senators will most likely vote in the next committee meeting on whether the bill goes before the full Senate. However, there are concerns about how the program will work, who it benefits, and its broader impact on the public education system. For example, opponents argue that the program would weaken public schools and strengthen parochial private schools.
There are also concerns about whether the $8,000 per student will be enough to cover the costs that come with private schooling and how the state will prevent program participants from misusing the funds they receive.
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