The Texas House recently approved a controversial school choice bill after nearly 11 hours of debate. The bill would provide taxpayer-funded education savings accounts, or school vouchers, for eligible families to help pay for private school tuition. Under the bill, students attending private schools would receive $10,000 per year, with disabled students receiving up to $30,000 and home-schooled students receiving $2,000. The vote, which passed with an 85-63 margin, marks the first time state money has been allocated for private schooling since 1957.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott praised the bill’s passage, along with House Speaker Dustin Burrows. Democrats expressed disappointment, calling it “welfare for the rich” and expressing concerns about the impact on public school funding. Most state Republicans supported the legislation, despite criticism from Democrats.
In addition to the school choice bill, the Texas House also passed a public school funding bill that represented the largest increase in funding for public schools. The bill, HB 2, will provide $9 billion in new funding, with a focus on teacher pay raises, salary increases for staff, and modernizing the school finance system.
President Trump expressed support for the school choice bill, calling it a “gigantic victory” for Texas students and parents. The bill will now move to the Texas Senate for further consideration. Meanwhile, local school districts in North Texas are facing financial challenges due to record inflation and declining student enrollment, despite ongoing debates about public education spending in the state.
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