Texas school voucher bill clears big hurdle in House as governor cheers  

AUSTIN, Texas (CN) — After more than 10 hours of debate, the Texas House of Representatives gave initial approval to a school voucher bill early Thursday morning, delivering a major win for Governor Greg Abbott and reversing a record of rejecting similar proposals.

Lawmakers voted 85-63 — largely along party lines — just after 2 a.m. to give initial approval to Senate Bill 2, a $1 billion school voucher proposal that lets parents use taxpayer funds to pay for private school tuition and other education-related expenses through “education savings accounts."

In a statement on one of his top priorities this session, Abbott said the closely watched vote marked a victory for parents who want more choice.

“​​When it reaches my desk, I will swiftly sign this bill into law, creating the largest day-one school choice program in the nation and putting Texas on a pathway to becoming the best state in America for educating our kids,” Abbott said.

Kicking off the long-awaited debate, Representative Brad Buckley, a Republican from Salado, said he sponsored the bill to give parents more power over their children’s education.

“Despite our best efforts and investments, not every student is best served at their local public school,” Buckley said. “As a neighbor, I’m overwhelmingly sympathetic to these families and cannot understand Texas allowing these children to slip through the cracks. As a legislator, I refuse to ignore these children and their futures.”

Abbott met with Republican members ahead of the pivotal vote, fielding a call from President Donald Trump, who told the lawmakers they had a “big day” ahead of them. Trump called school choice one of the most important issues for the Republican Party.

“I know how hard you all have worked on this,” Trump said. “I think it is probably one of the most important votes you have ever taken.”

Families accepted into the program would receive 85% of the money the state gives school districts annually per student — an estimated $10,800. Students with disabilities could receive up to $30,000 and homeschoolers could get up to $2,000.

Texas’ chief financial officer would oversee the program, disbursing the funds into what proponents call an education savings account. Private schools would need accreditation from the comptroller to be eligible for the funds; the standard includes issuing a norm-referenced annual exam.

There are few limitations on who is eligible. The program covers everyone from prekindergarten to post-high school, including students already enrolled in private schools. If schools get more applications than they can accommodate, priority for funding would go to children with disabilities or whose families are at or below 500% of the federal poverty level — $128,600 a year for a family of four in 2025, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

House Democrats were resolute in their opposition, arguing that the bill’s passage spells disaster for public education. At a rally Wedesday morning by voucher opponents, Austin Democrat James Talarico said Abbott is attempting to force his pet project through to the detriment of public schools.

“[Senate Bill 2 is] a scam that will take our tax dollars and give them to wealthy parents who are already sending their kids to private school,” Talarico said. “A scam that will bankrupt our public schools in the years to come.”

Democrats attempted to pare down the bill by offering 43 amendments. While none of the changes were adopted, they delayed a vote for about 11 hours and voiced their opposition. Talarico offered a proposal to let Texas taxpayers vote on the creation of a school voucher program, since they are footing the bill, but it was effectively shot down.

Senate Bill 2 still requires a final vote in the House before it goes back to the Senate. There, senators will decide whether to adopt the version passed by the House or send the bill to a conference committee where lawmakers from both chambers will hash out the differences.

Regardless, Thursday’s vote makes it clear that Abbott’s hard work to oust Republicans who voted against school vouchers in 2023 paid off. Rural Republicans and Democrats in the House banded together that year to kill similar proposals. As retribution, Abbott campaigned against those members, spending millions to ensure pro- voucher members were elected.

In addition to SB 2, the House on Wednesday approved a $7.7 billion public school finance bill, House Bill 2, that would increase teacher pay, special education funding and the base amount school districts receive per student. Despite the debate, that bill received overwhelming bipartisan support.

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