This made it to Abbott’s desk for signing into law. His political objectives have been accomplished. Not as much upside to this as marketed. Those that can’t afford private schools still won’t afford them. (The concerns for the most disadvantaged is more than tuition, it’s also the availability of credible schools, transportation, lunch programs, cost of uniforms, etc.) Private schools will still be selective on admissions. Quality of education will still need to be proven. And finally, each head count taken from a public school harms that public school. Especially given that the state has barely increased funding in years and most districts have had to slash headcount and programs. The proposed $300+ per student annual increase is a drop in the bucket. Biggest winners are those families that already can afford private schools by gaining an extra $10K in their pockets. This scheme has not fared well in other states. But this will not be placed in front of Texas voters to decide. That was blocked and Abbott will decide.
I’m a conservative Republican. But extremism on either side is not good for the public. The witch hunt against public education has crossed the line. The few bad apple schools affect all. Common sense has lost and public education will likely suffer even more.
