Some Texas legislators and the governor have recently voiced their expectation that school vouchers will be approved, in some form, in the 2025 legislative session for public schools. Exact details, however, remain elusive thus far. As KERA’s Bill Zeeble reports, those vouchers, better known in Texas as Education Savings Accounts (ESA’s), became Gov. Greg Abbott’s top focus in the last legislative session and four special sessions.
While speaking recently at the private religious school Kingdom Life Academy in Tyler, Texas, Abbott vowed that ESAs will again be his primary focus. “We are ensuring that students who may have fallen through the cracks in their public school, they're going to have a new chance, a new opportunity to be able to, to learn, to achieve, to succeed.”
Abbott is also once again expected to push for teacher pay hikes, which districts have anxiously awaited in recent years. Yet, with factors ranging from inflation to underfunded mandates, along with no extra state funding since 2019, districts are struggling financially.
Case in point: The Dallas Independent School District. Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde openly opposed school vouchers last year, even penning a letter to teachers, parents and others, explaining as much.
This year? Elizalde says her district faces a $186 million shortfall. For her, the voucher fight is over. “As leaders of learning organizations, we're learners first. And right now our priority must be getting school funding. Some people will criticize us for it - but I'm not going to relive Groundhog Day.”
However, instead of fighting ESAs this coming session, some school districts are expected to demand the very same accountability measures mandated for public schools, for public funds sent to private schools. Accountability includes standards for student outcomes, fiscal performance, and compliance with the Open Records & Meetings Act, student services standards, along with participation in the STAAR state testing program.
And topping Lt. Governor Dan Patrick’s priority list in the Texas Senate: Senate Bill 2- School Choice, which encompasses the use of ESAs. What remains uncertain are the potential costs to taxpayers, the amount of money to be allocated for each eligible family, and the number of families taking part in the school vouchers program. The 89th Texas Legislature is scheduled to begin its regular session on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, and continue to June 2.
