Texas state senators on Friday introduced a bill that would create a school voucher program.
School vouchers, public funding for students at schools chosen by themselves or their parents, have been a priority of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and top lawmakers after a similar bill failed to pass last legislative session.
On Friday, State Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, filed Senate Bill 2, the Texas Education Freedom Act, which would provide families with $10,000 a year per student in taxpayer dollars to fund tuition at an accredited private school and additional expenses such as textbooks, transportation, and therapy.
The legislation, which has eight co-sponsors, would provide $11,500 per student for children with disabilities.
"Texas families are rejecting the status quo and calling for an education system that prioritizes their children's success. Senate Bill 2 places parents at the center of their child's education, empowering them with the freedom to choose the educational path that works best for their families," Creighton said in a statement.
The lawmaker said it was "time for Texas to join the 32 other states that already empower parents and students with greater educational freedom."
"School choice is a proven driver of success," Creighton said. "Across the nation, it expands opportunities for students while resulting in meaningful improvements in public schools. Competition is not a threat to any one school but rather an opportunity to deliver better results for all Texas students. This legislation includes safeguards to ensure Texas avoids the challenges faced by other states while delivering a program tailored to the needs of our families."
In May, the Texas Senate attempted to add vouchers to a House finance bill that would have also allowed pay raises for teachers, increased funds for schools, and replaced the state's standardized testing system, leading to the measure being rejected.
Abbott said vouchers are "far closer than what people know" to becoming state law, but no voucher bills have gotten a vote in the Texas House this year, continuing opposition that has been going on among Democrats and some Republicans since 2005, the San Antonio Express-News reported.
Democrats and some rural Republicans say school vouchers cut into public school funding and enrollment, Axios reported.
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