Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed a school choice bill Saturday that would allocate $1 billion to a voucher program that allows parents to use public funds to pay for their children’s private school tuition.
The implementation of the plan has limited Republicans’ years of efforts, who have been advocating for school choices. Certificate supporters have long been following Texas, with previous efforts failing amid resistance from Democrats and rural Republicans.
Last month, President Donald Trump called on state lawmakers ahead of a major vote on the bill, eventually sending the measure to Abbott’s table. The Texas Senate passed Senate Chapter 2 by a partisan vote of 19-12 on April 24, after the state legislature approved the bill a week ago by a 86-63 vote.
“When I ran for reelection in 2022, I promised to choose a school choice for my family in Texas,” Abbott said. “Today, we delivered on that promise.”
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Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed a school choice bill on Saturday. (Reuters/Callaghan O’Hare)
Abbott Gov. Dan Patrick, State Assemblyman Dustin Burrows, Bill writer and state Senator Brandon Creighton, U.S. Senator John Cornyn, school choice advocates and students and their families.
“From here, [Texas students] “It is worth it to have unlimited potential and unlimited choices in education to pursue the rest of the path and education and what their families do best,” Creighton said.
Texas joins more than 30 other states that already have similar plans. Lone Star State will have the largest voucher program in the country.
After last year’s election cycle, he called on major Republican voters to vote against office lawmakers from the last legislative session supported by the governor, a major focus for Abbott this year.
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Lone Star State will have the largest voucher program in the country. (Montinique Monroe/Getty image)
Supporters of the bill say it will bring more options for parents to take their children out of underperforming public schools to support other public or private schools options.
“Gone are the days when families are limited to government-designated schools,” Abbott said. “This day has arrived, giving parents the best school for their children.”
Democrats and Republicans in rural areas criticizing the program believe it will draw financial resources from Texas public school students and subsidize private education for wealthy families.
“Let’s be clear: this bill is best for the wealthiest people in the state, especially the shaft,” Texas Democratic Chairman Kendall Scudder said in a statement. “The most important thing is that Abbott’s school pauses for a complete swing and is invisible.”
Texas joins more than 30 other states that already have similar plans. (Brendan Bell/Getty Image)
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Starting the next school year, families can receive $10,000 a year to help pay for their children’s private tuition fees or homeschool and virtual learning programs. Children with disabilities are eligible for up to $30,000 per year.
The program’s first-year cap is $1 billion and covers up to 90,000 students. But by 2030, the annual cost could be as high as $4.5 billion.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
