AUSTIN, Texas — Members of the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) shared their concerns over school vouchers with lawmakers on Tuesday at the Texas State Capitol.
Gov. Greg Abbott recently announced that he will be traveling around the state to make his case for school vouchers – also referred to as school choice – especially in rural areas. Vouchers could redirect taxpayer money away from public schools, allowing parents to use that money to pay for their children's private school, online school or private tutoring.
Abbott has said that most Republicans support the idea, but across the aisle, it has been met with criticism and resistance.
During his State of the State address on Feb. 16, Abbott said one of his emergency items this legislative session is "education freedom," which would allow the state to deposit taxpayer funds that parents could then use to help pay for sending their kids to schools outside the traditional public education system.
ATPE met with several lawmakers on Tuesday. Members who spoke with KVUE said public schools are already in need of more funding, and that rural schools will be hurt most by school vouchers.
According to ATPE's website, "Such a program would take taxpayer dollars out of traditional public schools and allow individuals to spend them at private schools that lack the accountability and oversight of elected school boards."
“Voucher programs, no matter what you call them, will harm the public schools that are the bedrock of Texas communities,” said Shannon Holmes, ATPE's executive director. “Most school funding is issued on a per-pupil basis, so every student with a so-called ‘education savings account’ would negatively impact a district’s revenue for operations, facilities, etc., as those costs do not decline in proportion to the decrease in enrollment.”
Mary Crisp, a special education department chair in Midland, Texas, has worked in public and private school settings. Crisp told KVUE on Tuesday that public schools have long needed more financial help.
"The state mandates public schools to do so many things but then doesn’t fund them," Crisp said. "Rural schools don’t get enough money as it is. They’re having a hard time recruiting and retaining teachers because of the pay.”
Members of ATPE gathered at the Capitol one week after a leaked audio conversation between a Texas student's parent and a high-ranking Texas Education Agency official was released. The official, secretly recorded, was heard advocating for voucher-like programs on behalf of Abbott. The official admitted that funding to public school districts could decrease if such a policy passes this legislative session.