The debate and controversy over school vouchers in Texas continues, with proponents now shifting their focus to the voting booth after failing to pass vouchers in multiple legislative sessions.
Much of the debate surrounding vouchers is focused on how the money could be used to divert funds from public schools to wealthy families who currently pay for private school tuition. Now, it’s the homeschooling community, along with public and charter schools, expressing concern about the impacts of vouchers.
According to a data analysis by Texas Public Policy Foundation, home-schoolers might be the impacted more than private schools. As first reported by The Texas Tribune, there were nearly 480,000 homeschooled children in Texas in the 2020-21 academic year – 200,000 more than those enrolled in private schools.
The core argument of voucher supporters is public funding for education should be allocated to a student and provide support no matter what type of school children attend – with the expectation those schools will meet state standards in providing a quality education. Texas does not presently regulate homeschooling in any form, and many of these families are now expressing concerned about accepting taxpayer funds – which could lead to increased regulation.
Texans for Homeschool Freedom, a grassroots group, recently posted a resolution, “No Socialist Government Takeover of Private Schools.” They have been dedicated to raising awareness of the risk the “money follow the child” policies can have on parental freedom.
“Texas already has “School Choice” because parents are totally free to educate their children in public or private schools, including homeschool,” the resolution continues. “Globalists desire to control all forms of education and have a plan to do so through drawing private schools into the public school system via vouchers, public-private partnerships, or fake Education Savings Accounts (ESAs).”
As the Republican Part of Texas state convention approaches, the resolution is gaining momentum among GOP party members.
According to President of Texans for Homeschool Freedom and author of the resolution, Faith Bussey, similar resolutions opposing all taxpayer-funded vouchers have been passed in several Texas GOP Senate District Conventions. These include SD 4 in Conroe, SD 7 in Montgomery, SD 10 in Johnson and Parker counties, and SD 22 in Tarrant County.
Some critics of vouchers in the homeschooling community share common ground with the advocates for public education who oppose vouchers.
“Republicans say they understand what is broken about the public school system,” Bussey, mother of three kids whom she home-schools, said. “They arrogantly tell us that it won’t affect those who don’t take the money, but they know it will increase the cost of private education for everyone else and lead to the same standardized destruction in the private sector.”
Other homeschool coalitions say ESAS would provide parents with more choices, so long as they can operate with more autonomy and more independence than is currently allowed in the system.
“Parents who believe the ESA will be good for their child will participate, and others may not. Allowing each family the independence to pursue what is best for their child should be the number one goal of our education system,” the Texas Home School Coalition (THSC) said.
THSC also believes the Legislature is capable of pursuing multiple good ideas at the same time. “Parties who argue that ESAs should not be considered until all other education problems are solved cannot define when the endpoint for that waiting period will be, ” they concluded.
After failing to pass a voucher bill during the Legislature, Governor Greg Abbott’s push for vouchers shifted towards the elections, where he is supporting Republican candidates who align with his views in the upcoming primary run-off elections.
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