School choice voucher debate reignites after election – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

Tuesday was the first day Texas lawmakers could submit proposals to change Texas law. Hundreds of bills were introduced by state lawmakers ahead of the January legislative session. The biggest proposed change could be education reform, which could impact every school district in the state.

Gov. Greg Abbott has campaigned against both Republicans and Democrats to get school choice vouchers across the finish line. The Texas House last year rejected a proposal to allow families to use public school dollars for private and homeschools. He then campaigned against his opponents and says he now has 79 votes in favor of the measures, enough to pass the 150-member Texas House.

During the introduction of the bills, the back and forth bickering begins over the size and scope of the proposals, including the bill to pass on school choice vouchers. Abbot

Last year, Abbott’s proposal included billions in additional funding for public schools, along with a school choice program. His allies in the Legislature will soon outline the details of their proposals. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the leader of the Texas Senate who has consistently passed “school choice” bills to the Texas House, has asked the governor to declare it an emergency.

“I think the state and our legislators are going to be very pragmatic about how we fund public schools. We need to raise all boats,” said Genevieve Collins, the Texas director for Americans for Prosperity. Her group was active in campaigns against Republicans in the primaries and ousting anti-voucher Republicans.

Collins tells NBC 5 her group is pushing for a program that will grow slowly, one step at a time, but prioritize poor children, students in “failing schools” and students with special needs.

“There is a way for everyone to win, but both sides are going to have to have a little give and take to prepare kids. Not necessarily a saving of systems,” said Collins.

This debate comes at a time when some North Texas public schools are experiencing a budget crisis.

“Just like all of you in your homes. All your home costs are going up and so are ours,” Celina ISD Superintendent Tom Maglisceau told NBC 5.

On Election Day, six North Texas school districts asked voters to raise local taxes to maintain current budgets. Only voters in Celina and Grapevine Colleyville passed the measures. Voters in Frisco, Northwest ISD, Coppell and Argyle rejected the tax increase, and this will leave districts making some tough decisions in the coming days.

“It could mean closing another school or merging programs. That will most likely include some staffing adjustments,” Coppell ISD Superintendent Brad Hunt told NBC 5.

“Cutbacks are happening right now. There are schools that have closed across the state due to a lack of funding,” said Monty Exter of the Association of Texas Professional Educators.

Exter tells NBC 5 that the best-case scenario for their teacher group in the coming days is that the Legislature passes a school funding bill, even if the House, Senate and Governor can’t agree on the details of the school choice voucher provision. Their worst-case scenario is that lawmakers pass their school choice measure without much of the public school money.

“That’s the worst case scenario,” Exter said. “If they feel like they can move whatever voucher bill they want, they can move forward and not have to spend state dollars on improved public school funding.”

Lawmakers arrive in Austin to begin their legislative session in mid-January.