BREAKING DOWN Senate Bill 8 Senate Bill 8 would give families $8,000 per student each year for education- related expenses and cost the state about $531 million through August 2025. Parents could choose how those funds are spent within certain parameters.
ELIGIBILITY
EXPENSES COVERED
CONTINUED FROM 1
Tuition and fees for a private school Textbooks or other instructional materials and uniforms Costs related to academic assessments Fees for private tutors or teaching services Transportation fees Fees for educational therapies not covered by a government program
A closer look at SB 8 If this bill becomes law, students enrolled in public schools and stu- dents enrolling in public kindergarten or pre-K for the first time could apply for an education savings account. General state revenue Money diverted from other programs Gifts, grants and donations FUNDING SOURCES A child is eligible for the program if they: Are eligible to attend public school Are enrolled for the current school year in a public school Are enrolled in a public school pre-K Attended a public school for at least 90% of the previous school year
priorities for the 88th legislative session. “My job is to make sure we get across the finish line a piece of legisla- tion that will return mom and dad to being in charge of their child’s educa- tion,” he said during a visit to Cypress Christian School on March 21. The Legislative Budget Board reported the program would cost the state over $531 million through August 2025. While the program would not use funds allocated for public schools, opponents of the legislation have expressed concerns that more fund- ing is needed in public schools, which could lose more money if their stu- dents leave to attend private schools. The basic allotment—the amount school districts receive from the state per student to provide a basic level of education—has been set at $6,160 per student since the 2019-20 school year. Texas ranks No. 42 nationally in per-student spending, according to Education Week’s 2021 School Finance Rankings. The Texas comptroller of public accounts reported a $900 increase would be needed just to keep up with inflation; however, based on the leg- islation moving through the Texas House as of press time, legislators were looking at a $140 increase. In 2019, House Bill 3 included a $1,020 increase, the last adjustment to the basic per-student allotment. “We are begging for any morsel of additional funding for public schools, and where vouchers come in is they do the opposite,” said Laura Yeager, director of Just Fund It TX, at an April 4 press conference. Some school districts across the state, including Fort Bend ISD, approved budget deficits in fiscal year 2022-23 due to limited funding. Com- munity Impact previously reported
A similar amendment passed with 115 votes during the 2021 legislative session, showing an increase in sup- port for the programs since then, but strong opposition remains. During previous legislative sessions, voucher programs have died in the House without a committee hearing. Michael Barba, K-12 education pol- icy director at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank based in Austin, said he believes SB 8 would make “great progress” toward giving parents alternatives if they have concerns about the quality of their chil- dren’s education. Data provided by the TPPF shows about 1.6 million students across the state, or 55.3%, are below grade level in English language arts and reading classes, and about 1.5 million are below grade level in math, or 62.5%. “The reason [parents] are voicing their concerns now is because they see that the education that was provided throughout the time of COVID[-19] either isn’t up to the level of quality that they expect for their child, or it’s not aligned with their family values,” Barba said. Although public schools are required to teach to standards estab- lished by the State Board of Educa- tion, private schools do not have the same restrictions regarding what they can teach students.
SOURCES: TEXAS LEGISLATURE ONLINE, TEXAS PUBLIC POLICY FOUNDATION/COMMUNITY IMPACT
FBISD’s $768 million budget included a $19.8 million deficit with state fund- ing making up 37% of revenue and local property taxes making up 59%. Public education advocates have also raised concerns private schools are not required to meet state
Some low-income stu- dents already enrolled in private schools may also be eligible, Creighton said. Amendments pro- posed to require pri- vate schools receiving voucher funds to meet the same accountabil- ity or safety training standards as Texas public schools were voted down by the Senate. Ultimately, the bill passed out of the
“MY JOB IS TO MAKE SURE WE GET ACROSS THE FINISH LINE A PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT WILL RETURN MOM AND DAD TO BEING IN CHARGE OF THEIR CHILD’S EDUCATION.” GOV. GREG ABBOTT
and federal standards for accountabil- ity, acces- sibility and safety. “Under this measure, public tax- payer dollars would go to private enti- ties instead
Senate with an 18-13 vote April 6—one Republican and all Democrats voted against it. As of press time, the bill was referred to the House. The same day SB 8 passed in the Senate, the House amended the state budget to prohibit the use of public funds for education savings accounts in an 86-52 vote.
of to public education, and is it going there with no accountability?” FBISD Superintendent Christie Whitbeck said in an emailed statement. “Pub- lic schools are accountable for every aspect of their operations—academic, financial, safety, teacher certifications and so on. This proposed legislation would create an uneven playing field.”
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