By Dr. Michael Novotny
Salado ISD Superintendent
The first bill in Texas regarding private school vouchers/Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) was filed back in 1956. Thus, the Texas Legislature has been debating private school vouchers/ESAs for almost 70 years.
However, none of these bills have ever passed both the Texas Senate and the Texas House. That trend continued in 2023 during the regular legislative session and four additional special sessions. While the majority of the Texas Senate supported school vouchers/ESAs, the majority of the Texas House did not.
Governor Abbott posted on his Facebook page on January 4, “2025 will be the year that Texas PASSES school choice!” However, school choice has already existed for 100 years. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1925 that the right to choose a private education is protected by the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Thus, parents already have the choice to enroll their children in public school, private school, homeschool, or charter school.
Of course not all families can afford private school. If the goal of vouchers/ESAs is school choice, then the vouchers/ESAs should only be provided to economically disadvantaged families. However, if vouchers/ESAs are provided to families that can already afford private school, then they will not increase school choice and will instead use those taxpayer dollars to subsidize private school for the wealthy.
The Texas Senate approved Senate Bill 2 on February 5. This bill allocates $1 billion for private school vouchers/ESAs. Unfortunately, the income limits set by this bill would allow wealthy families (that can already afford private school) to receive these vouchers/ESAs. Instead of using the income limits set for free or reduced meal eligibility in public schools (which 62.3% of students in Texas public schools qualify), this bill sets the income limits at FIVE TIMES the federal poverty thresholds. Thus, this bill sets the income limits at $133,250 for family of three, $160,750 for a family of four, and $188,250 for a family of five. Furthermore, these income limits would only apply to 80% of the vouchers/ESAs and the remaining 20% could go to families without any income limits.
Senate Bill 2 also does not apply adequate academic accountability to private schools that would taxpayer-funded vouchers/ESAs. By comparison, the Texas public school academic accountability system includes an A through F letter grade assigned to each school and district based on reading, mathematics, science, and social studies achievement, attendance rates, military enlistment rates, vocational certification rates, SAT/ACT scores, college dual credit completion rates, and graduation rates. For example, Salado ISD earned a score of 88 out of 100 on our most recent academic accountability rating. This information is publicly available on the Texas Education Agency website for all schools and districts. However, Senate Bill 2 does not include this same academic accountability and transparency for private schools that accept taxpayer funded vouchers/ESAs.
Furthermore, Senate Bill 2 does not apply financial accountability to private schools. All Texas public schools receive a Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST) score annually based on 21 different financial indicators and resulting in a score from 0 to 100. Salado ISD earned a score of 98 out of 100 on our most recent financial accountability rating. Senate Bill 2 would not apply this financial accountability to private schools receiving taxpayer funded vouchers/ESAs.
Senate Bill 2 will now be considered by the Texas House. If the Texas House does approve this bill, hopefully they will include amendments regarding more appropriate income limits and academic and financial accountability. Those guardrails could ensure that vouchers/ESAs will only be provided to families that can’t afford private school and that there is a good return on investment of that $1 billion of our taxpayer dollars.
Anyone interested in sharing their opinion regarding Senate Bill 2 should contact our state legislators:
Representative Brad Buckley, Texas House District 54, (512) 463-0684 or (254) 947-5026
Senator Pete Flores, Texas Senate District 24, (512) 463-0124 or (254) 939-3854