Texas lawmakers are moving forward with a $1 billion school choice program that would allow public funds to be used for private schools.
The bill recently received support from United States President Donald Trump and is now closer to getting to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's desk. The Texas House passed a bill to create the $1 billion education Savings Account program after a marathon session.
Texas School Choice Program
The situation marks the first time that school choice legislation has passed the state House after it stalled in previous sessions. Lawmakers approved the bill 86-63, with every Democrat and two Republicans voting no.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said on Friday that he plans to ask the chairman in the Senate to concur with the House version of the bill. What this means is that there will most likely be no committee to work out the differences between the chambers.
Supporters of the bill argue that the proposed legislation will give parents more options for their children's education. Senate Bill 2 will set aside $1 billion in funding for savings accounts that will allow eligible students to pay costs that are associated with private schools, according to Fox4News.
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Under the proposed bill, every student approved for funding can get more than $10,000. Trump expressed his support for the program before the legislation went to the House floor on Wednesday. The Republicans called the program "forward-thinking."
Moving forward, Republican lawmakers' goal with the bill is to prioritize low-income and special needs students. The threshold for low income in the House version of the bill is a household that earns roughly $162,000.
Massive $1 Billion Fund
Tommy Schultz, the CEO of the American Federation for Children, said that school choice is finally coming to Texas. He said that people should applaud the development and the tireless leadership of Gov. Abbott, the Federation for Children reported.
Schultz added that the passing of the bill marks a major milestone and that they are committed to supporting parents every step of the way until the proposal is signed into law. Other details of the legislation include all Texas K-12 students, which is roughly 6 million, being eligible to apply.
While the program would be capped at $1 billion in its first year, it has the potential to grow its funding rather quickly and could reach an estimated $4.5 billion a year by 2030. The money can be used for private school tuition and other costs, such as curriculum materials and virtual learning programs, as per the New York Times.
