(The Center Square) – After Republicans swept many state legislative seats on Election Day, Gov. Greg Abbott said he had more than enough votes to pass school choice in the next legislative session. That and property tax reform, he’s said, are his top priorities for the Texas legislature to consider when they convene in January.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick also announced that school choice was the Texas Senate’s top priority.
School choice was a legislative priority of Abbott’s and Patrick’s in the regular and special legislative sessions two years ago, but legislation failed to pass in the Republican-controlled House. The Texas legislature convenes every two years for roughly 140 days unless the governor calls a special legislative session.
In 2023, 21 House Republicans opposed a school choice bill the Senate repeatedly passed. After the legislative session was over, five retired and 16 ran for reelection. Throughout the primary season, Abbott endorsed and campaigned for candidates who he says support school choice, including those who challenged incumbent Republicans whom Abbott previously endorsed because they were among the 21.
In the March primary, the May runoff, and general election, school choice won on the ballot after nearly all candidates Abbott endorsed and campaigned for won, The Center Square reported.
“With the general election over, Texans are now looking ahead to the upcoming legislative session beginning in January. Every legislative session, the Texas Senate and the Texas House take turns introducing the state budget. This session, it is the Senate’s turn. Accordingly, Senate Bill 1 will be in the state budget,” Patrick said, referring to the school choice bill filed in the last legislative session by Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe.
Creighton repeatedly introduced two companion education bills in the regular legislative session and subsequent special sessions. Both passed the Senate with bipartisan support only to be killed by House Republicans each time.
SB 1, “Empowering Parental Rights,” created Texas’ first universal Education Savings Account (ESA) pilot program, funding $8,000 per student per year for roughly 60,000 students to be used for a range of tuition and education-related purposes. SB 2, “Teacher Pay Raise and School Funding Increases,” allocated $5.2 billion to increase teacher salaries and the per-student and per-campus allotment, The Center Square reported.
SB 1, in the next legislative session, is the proposed budget. Senate Bill 2 is the Senate’s school choice legislation, Patrick said.
Creating an ESA program is important because “a one-size-fits-all approach to education in a state with a population of 30 million, 254 counties, 1,200 school districts, and over 8,000 campuses simply cannot possibly meet the needs of every student,” Patrick said.
While many Texas schools “are striving to be great,” and some are great and good, he said, “unfortunately, no matter their effort, some schools struggle to meet the unique educational needs that some students require. Parents should be empowered to place their child in the best learning environment, whether that is a public or private school.”
“Texans across the political spectrum agree that parents must have options to choose the school that best fits the needs of their child to ensure their success. Voters have spoken clearly during the primary and general elections; the time for school choice in Texas is long overdue,” he said.
According to a University of Houston poll of Republican primary voters, 60% said they were less likely to vote for an incumbent who voted against school choice; 64% said they want the Texas legislature to pass a school choice bill that will benefit all Texas families.
A separate UH poll found that more than two-thirds of Texans support school choice, with the majority of Blacks, Hispanics, and Democrats supporting ESAs.
Patrick said “Texas can have school choice without undermining the public school system,” refuting an argument that by funding school choice there will be less funds for public schools. In the last legislative session, opponents of school choice argued public schools were not fully funded, which Abbott and others refuted, The Center Square reported.
In 2023, the legislature appropriated $39 billion per year on public education. Creighton’s SB 1 allocated $500 million to fund the ESA pilot program for 60,000 students. This was separate from the general fund through which public education funding is allocated for 5.5 million public school students.
“School choice is clearly not a [financial] threat to public education,” Patrick said.
Patrick also said he hopes Abbott declares school choice as an emergency item. This would enable the legislature to take up the Senate bill and pass it in the beginning of the session instead of waiting until March. The Texas Constitution stipulates that the state legislature cannot pass legislation during the first 60 days of the regular legislative session, unless the governor declares a particular bill an emergency legislative item.
“Since 2015, the Senate has passed school choice five times,” Patrick said. “It died in a Republican-controlled House each time. That is unacceptable and inexcusable. With an expanded Republican majority in the Texas House, there is no reason Texas students should be left behind. Parents must be able to make the best decisions for their children, so they can receive the education that fits their unique needs.”
