Late Sunday night, the Senate Education Committee posted a hearing notice for today, Monday, May 22, at 8:30 a.m. with the only agenda item being the committee substitute for HB 100. The 133-page bill has been amended with many provisions TASA members have opposed throughout the session and diverts much-needed funding to private school vouchers.
The substitute bill:
- adds education savings accounts (vouchers) for up to $8,000 per student from $500 million of general revenue funds (provisions start on p. 83)
- increases the Basic Allotment by only $50
- adds funding for charter facilities
- allows free student transfer across district boundaries
- mandates districts operate five-day school weeks
- strips SBOE (elected officials) authority over SBEC (appointed membership) decisions
We anticipate that CSHB 100 will be voted out of the Senate Ed Committee today and added to the Senate Intent Calendar for Tuesday.
Please contact your senator today and ask that they oppose HB 100 as amended.
Look up who represents you in the Texas Senate/find contact info.
Talking Points on ESAs/Vouchers
- Private schools are not accountable to taxpayers; they are not required to report student achievement data to the state.
- Private schools do not have to accept all students; they can discriminate.
- The superiority of private schools is a myth. Private schools are not required to hire certified teachers. No credible research exists to suggest vouchers improve academic performance.
- Vouchers drain resources from public schools; other states have shown that voucher costs often grow well above projections.
- Texas already ranks 40th in per-student spending and the rate of inflation since 2019 is 14.5%, per the Comptroller.
- Choice already exists within the public school system: Districts have transfer policies, magnet schools, career/tech academies, etc.
- Vouchers subsidize tuition for existing private school and homeschooled students,
putting a huge new financial burden on the state.
More Talking Points on Vouchers
Why Vouchers are Not Right for Texas
