Texas Senate passes 'school choice' bill

The Texas Senate has passed a controversial school choice bill, Senate Bill 2 (SB 2), after hours of intense debate that highlighted deep divisions over the future of public education in the state. The final vote was 19-12, with Sen. Robert Nichols (R-Jacksonville) standing as the lone Republican to oppose the measure.

A New Era of School Choice?

Authored by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe), SB 2 would create a universal education savings account (ESA) program, allowing families to use state funds to pay for private school tuition, homeschooling expenses, and other educational costs.

“There are many reasons why families search for various opportunities in education—safety, specific needs, and academic reasons,” Creighton said. “Many of these students are trapped in public schools because of a ZIP code, and that’s just not right.”

Under the bill, eligible students would receive at least $2,000 per year in an ESA, with students attending accredited private schools receiving $10,000 annually—or $11,500 if they have disabilities. The program would be funded with $1 billion from the state’s budget surplus, covering approximately 100,000 students.

A Heated Debate in the Senate

The debate over SB 2 was fierce, with Democrats raising concerns about its impact on public schools and rural communities. Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas) argued that school choice has roots in segregation, while Sen. Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo) warned that the bill could worsen educational disparities, especially for rural students with limited access to private schools.

Sen. Borris Miles (D-Houston) added that vouchers “only exaggerate the inequities of the public school system,” while Sen. Sarah Eckhardt (D-Austin) criticized the bill for “lavishing money on a tiny segment of Texans who send their kids to private school.”

Supporters pushed back, insisting that school choice offers more opportunities, not fewer. Sen. Donna Campbell (R-New Braunfels) cited economist Thomas Sowell, arguing that school choice does not inherently lead to segregation but instead expands educational access for all students.

Creighton himself was blunt in his rebuttal to critics. “You hear comments that are the talking points of the American Federation of Teachers straight from Washington, D.C.,” he said. “This bill does not jeopardize public schools—it creates opportunities for kids.”

What’s Next for SB 2?

Now that SB 2 has cleared the Senate, it moves to the Texas House, where its fate is uncertain. Despite repeated efforts to pass similar measures in previous sessions, school choice proposals have historically struggled to gain enough support in the House.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Gov. Greg Abbott, both strong advocates of school choice, praised the bill’s passage in the Senate. Abbott, who has made ESAs a legislative priority, called it a step toward expanding “education options that students need and parents deserve.”

House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) expressed optimism that this could be the session where school choice finally becomes law. “I do believe this will be the session that it passes,” he said.

With committee assignments and House debate still ahead, the battle over school choice in Texas is far from over. But for now, SB 2 is one step closer to becoming reality.