Abbott warns of special session if school choice bill not expanded.

Texas Lawmakers Warned of Special Session if School Choice Legislation Fails

Governor Greg Abbott Issues Warning

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has warned that state lawmakers may be called back to Austin this summer if they fail to pass school choice legislation before the end of the session on May 29th. In a statement posted on Twitter, Abbott said, “Parents and their children deserve the time and effort this will take.” The warning came after the Texas House Committee on Public Education proposed a significantly altered version of Senate Bill 8, a school choice bill that would provide up to $8,000 per year per student to Texas families who want to move their children into private schools or other alternatives.

Original Bill vs. Latest Version

Under the original bill, about 5.5 million students would qualify for the ESA program. However, the latest version of the House proposal would only allow about 800,000 students to qualify. It also provides less funding for special education and denies school choice to low-income families. Abbott has vowed to veto the House’s substitute version of Senate Bill 8, which limits the eligibility pool and offers less funding to low-income students and those with special needs.

What the Original Bill Would Do

The original version of Senate Bill 8 would be available to most K-12 students, allowing parents who opt out of public school to apply $8,000 per student per year toward their child’s private education, including textbooks and tutoring. The average cost of private school tuition in Texas is $10,454 per year, according to Private School Review. It would also restrict public and charter schools from providing lessons, campus activities, or programs regarding sexual orientation or gender identity.

Committee Substitute to Senate Bill 8

The House Public Education Committee Chairman, Rep. Brandon Buckley, revised the proposal, known as Committee Substitute to Senate Bill 8, which would limit ESA availability to children who have a disability, are educationally disadvantaged, or attend a school that has received a “D” rating or lower for the prior two years. Eligibility would also be open to siblings of those in the program. Roughly 800,000 students statewide would qualify under the substitute bill.

What’s Next?

Republican state Sen. Brandon Creighton authored the original version of Senate Bill 8. The House has yet to clear either the original bill or substitute versions with less than two weeks left in the session. Abbott has spent the last several months traveling across the state promoting GOP legislation to expand school choice through education savings accounts (ESAs), also known as school vouchers, which would allow parents to access state money to fund K-12 education, tutoring, and other educational materials outside the public school system. Abbott said, “Instead, the original House version of the Senate bill provides a more meaningful starting point to begin House-Senate negotiations.”

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