A national group for Black conservatives has planned a public forum in the Houston area Monday night where families can learn more about Texas’ new school voucher program and how it may affect them.
The forum, which is free and open to the public, is set for 6-8:30 p.m. at Christian Bible Church, 3222 Texas Pkwy., in Missouri City, which is southwest of Houston. The event is being organized by the Frederick Douglass Freedom Alliance, a Washington-based nonprofit that emphasizes biblical and conservative principles and advocates for public policy rooted in free market and limited government.
According to the organization, local elected officials and education leaders will conduct panel discussions to help families understand the school voucher-like program that was passed this year by Texas lawmakers.
The bill creating the $1 billion program was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott in early May after a years-long effort by the Republican governor and resistance from Democrats and rural conservatives. Under the law, eligible families can receive roughly $10,000 per student in taxpayer funding to cover private school tuition and other educational expenses.
Most school-aged children in Texas are eligible for the Education Savings Accounts, including those already enrolled in private schools. Families must provide proof that their students are U.S. citizens or lawful residents in order to be eligible, and students cannot be enrolled in both a public school and the voucher-like program at the same time.
