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The Texas Senate has passed Senate Bill (SB) 1, a piece of legislation that would establish a state voucher program allowing parents in Texas to use taxpayer dollars for private education. The bill, authored by State Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe), easily gained approval in the Senate but is expected to face challenges in the Texas House of Representatives.
In a post on X, Creighton expressed his support for the bill, stating, "After over 8 hours of debate, the Texas Senate passed SB 1, providing universal school choice to Texas students. This legislation empowers parents and unleashes the potential of Texas education."
If the bill is passed by the House and signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott, public school students who transfer to private schools would receive education savings accounts in their names. These accounts would be funded with $8,000 of taxpayer money, which parents could use to cover expenses such as uniforms, textbooks, and tutoring. The measure passed in the Senate with an 18-13 vote, according to The Texas Tribune.
In addition to SB 1, the Senate also approved another bill authored by Creighton, SB 2. This bill would allocate $5.2 billion to school districts to assist with teacher raises and rising costs. The basic allotment, or the amount of money schools receive per student, would also increase from $6,160 to $6,235 under this bill. SB 2 also includes a one-time pay bonus for teachers, with those in districts educating less than 5,000 students receiving a $10,000 payment and those in districts with over 5,000 students receiving a $3,000 payment.
Governor Greg Abbott has made education freedom a priority in the third special session of the 88th Texas Legislature, which began on October 9th. In a press release announcing the session, Abbott stated, "Together, we will chart a brighter future for all Texas children by empowering parents to choose the best education option for their child."