AUSTIN (Nexstar) — After a year of legislative impasses leading to a primary season of vengeance, Gov. Greg Abbott’s top priority of “education savings accounts” could be coming to fruition.
The idea of using state money to subsidize part of families’ private school expenses has been a political lightning rod in Texas for years, but the legislature is friendlier to it than ever before. Abbott utilized his pulpit and campaign war chest to wage electoral war on skeptical Republicans, successfully replacing many longtime rural lawmakers with newcomers sympathetic to his school choice goals.
“The Texas legislature now has enough votes to pass School Choice,” Abbott touted on X after the May primary runoffs. “Congratulations to all of tonight‘s winners. Together, we will ensure the best future for our children.”
This week, the Chair of the Senate Education Committee told Nexstar he is aiming for a “universal” plan — any family who wants to take advantage of an “education savings account” to help pay for their child’s private or home-schooling would be able to do so.
“We plan on coming back with a very strong bill, even stronger than last time around, and I think we’ll have the support,” State Sen. Creighton, R-Conroe, said. “We’re on our way. We have many new friends to work with in the house after this election cycle.”
Last year, Creighton championed a bill that would spend half a billion dollars to give $8,000 ESAs to at least 40,000 families. Ninety percent of that money was reserved for low-income families and educationally-disadvantaged students. Families of all kinds, even those with children already in private school, could have taken advantage of the remaining 10%.
Lawmakers may no longer feel the need to temper their next bill, and intend to make it more widely available.
Creighton did not specify how expensive the next ESA plan will be, but he said the legislature will start with a definite appropriation of money to come in tandem with the bill’s passage.
Meanwhile, Democrats are hoping to cobble together another bipartisan coalition to oppose any form of “school choice” – though the math will be harder for them this time.
“The people of Texas need to push back, because if they allow for a universal voucher, we’re going to have millionaires and billionaires rating our public education budget,” State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, told Nexstar. “We will be taking money from working class kids all over the state to give that money to wealthy parents who are already sending their kids to private schools.”
Public school districts and Democratic lawmakers argue that public money is best invested into the public school system, and because district funding is based on student attendance, any form of private school stipend would reduce their resources.
“We still believe in public education, we believe in accountability for taxpayers, and we believe in being good stewards of our public funds. Vouchers don’t do any of that,” Talarico said. “They allow for wealthy special interests to siphon off billions of dollars from our neighborhood schools and make money off of our kids.”
Creighton promised the legislature will pass public school budget increases and teacher pay raises alongside an education savings accounts program. Last year, public school money fell victim to the impasse over ESAs because the Senate and the Governor insisted on passing both. They ended up passing neither.
Next session, both efforts will get to the governor’s desk, Creighton said.
“I don’t really separate them out in my mind, because it is what will set our Texas students up to be the most successful in the future.”