April 22, 2025 Story by: Editor
What is Texas Senate Bill 2?
Senate Bill 2 would allow families to use taxpayer dollars to fund a child’s education at an accredited private school.
As passed through the Senate, SB 2 would prompt the creation of an education savings account (ESA) program, which would distribute the following funds:
- $10,000 per year for each student who attends an accredited private school.
- $11,500 per year for each student who attends an accredited private school with a disability.
- $2,000 per year for each student who is homeschooled, to use on qualifying educational expenses.
However, the House committee’s proposed revisions to SB 2 — largely insert language from the House version of school voucher legislation, House Bill 3, including:
- Children participating in the voucher program would receive 85% of how much public school children receive on average each year, or about $10,500 this year.
- Provide up to $30,000 for students’ special education services at a private school, instead of the standard roughly $10,000.
- $2,000 per year for each student who is homeschooled, to use on qualifying educational expenses.
The House proposal also lays out a tiered system for school voucher eligibility, prioritizing children with special education needs in families at or below 500% of the federal poverty line — about $160,000 for a family of four. Then, the program would prioritize children from all families at 200% of the federal poverty line — about $64,000 for a family of four. Children in other income brackets would be placed in other tiers of priority.
What are school vouchers in Texas?
School vouchers promote what is often called “school choice” and give families access to public money to pay for private school tuition and some homeschooling costs.
Opponents of school vouchers, like the Texas American Federation of Teachers (AFT), worry such programs will sap public school funding and more students opt for a private education. Last month, Texas AFT President Zeph Capo expressed concerns about how this would impact the public school districts throughout the state that are already facing budget deficits.
During the 2023 legislative session, Gov. Greg Abbott made school vouchers his signature issue and told lawmakers he wouldn’t sign a school funding bill until they delivered him his priority program. School vouchers, however, proved controversial, and a bloc of rural House Republicans joined Democratic lawmakers to thwart the proposal.
Source: Austin American Statesman
