Legislative Sessions

In 1995, the state implemented the Public Education Grant for parents to have option if their public schools are failing, meaning students at low-performing schools are allowed to transfer. 

Additionally, state law requires districts to allow students at low-performing public schools to transfer. Public school districts operate magnet schools, career and technical education campuses, virtual schools, and credit-recovery programs, among other programs. Public charter schools provide another form of existing choice.

Legislators who want to expand choice should do so within the state’s system of transparent, accountable public schools.

• Schools receiving non-public subsidies are not accountable through student performance measures like the STAAR test. 
• Public school districts also receive financial ratings from the state to evaluate their management of taxpayer resources, and school districts’ finances are open to the public.
• Texas does not pay to educate private school students now. Providing private school students with subsidies to attend non-public schools could cost Texas taxpayers billions of dollars per year. 
• Texas is already below the national average in funding per student in public education. Any extra money the state offers, should go to increase public school funding to serve the majority of Texas children.
• Publicly funded charter schools are held to higher standards of oversight than non-public schools, but they do not have the same accountability standards in place as traditional school districts with local school boards. Non-public school subsidies would provide even fewer taxpayer protections.

• Schools, just like our households and businesses, are seeing increased costs for fuel, energy, food, and supplies.
• Schools no longer have the same buying power as they did in 2019 when the $6,160 basic allotment was set. Average inflation since August 2019 has increased by 17% according to the Consumer Price Index. That means in order to have the same buying power as they did after HB 3 was passed, the basic allotment would need to be over $7,100. 
• The Comptroller is estimating a massive increase in state revenue over the next two years compared to the past two. There is enough money to fully fund public education!
• Public schools educate more than 90% of students in Texas. Those students deserve full funding for their schools before any discussion of diverting taxpayer money for non-public school subsidies.
• Public schools build the future workforce that powers the supercharged Texas economy. There is no better return on investment for the future of Texas!