Parents who have chosen private education came together at Athens Christian Preparatory Academy on Tuesday night to rally around a proposal Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said will make their choice more attainable.
“It is parents who are in charge of the children. Parents must be empowered to choose a school that’s best for their child. The way to do that is through school choice with education savings accounts,” said Abbott.
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WATCH HEREA crowd of about 200 gathered in the school’s gymnasium to hear the Republican governor’s remarks on a plan allowing families to use public school tax dollars on private and home schools.
On Wednesday, lawmakers are expected to take up the bill to set aside $1 billion over the next two-year budget to give up to 100,000 students and their families roughly $10,000 in education savings accounts.
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It’s a move parents at Tuesday’s rally said will allow them to prioritize faith, special education, or, as Russell Normandy found, a safer environment after his daughter was bullied.
“I looked at my wife, and I said, 'I think we need to make a change,'" said Normandy.
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"We need to go to ACPA. The children were students in Athens, and we didn’t know how we were going to pay for it. I have a life mentor that I talked to, and he said, you’ll figure it out, and we have. It’s made an unbelievable difference."
Some state Democrats have pushed back on the bill, saying it isn’t set up to help those who need it most.
To qualify for the lottery to obtain an education savings account, a family needs to make 500% of the poverty line, which, according to Sen. Royce West (D-Texas), was roughly $150,000 a year. A lottery will make 20% of the accounts available to any income.
“At least I don’t see it. This does not prioritize the lowest income in our state, or I don’t see anything in there about prioritizing kids coming from academically failing schools," said West during a recent committee hearing.
The Brookings Institute found that was the case for Arizona’s version of school choice, showing that most recipients live in the most affluent area codes.
Those in the highest areas of poverty received the least. EdTrust reported data showing that since the launch of that program, public schools in Arizona were, on average, receiving $300,000 less in state funding.
Supporters of the Texas bill said that won’t be the case.
“It doesn’t have to be either or. It doesn’t pit one against the other. If we care about our kids and their future and want what’s best for them, we should be in favor of everything,” said Abbott.
