Senate committee overwhelmingly passes ‘school choice’ bill to full Texas Senate

AUSTIN, Texas — The third special session of the 88th Texas Legislature is underway. On Tuesday, state senators spent the day in committee hearings listening to what the public thinks about key bills filed this session. At the top of the list is education savings accounts (ESAs), which critics have called a form of school vouchers. The Senate Committee on Education took up Senate Bill 1, on ESAs. That’s taxpayer money parents could use to help pay for tuition at accredited private schools. SB 1 has officially made it out of the Senate’s Education Committee. The testimony from the public was a mix of both support and opposition to the plan.

SB 1, by State Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe), establishes an ESA program in Texas. The program would provide $8,000 per student that could be used to pay tuition at accredited private schools in the state. Some eligibility requirements for these accounts are students enrolled in public schools 90% of the time in the previous year, those entering pre-K or kindergarten and private schoolers who were enrolled the prior year of their ESA application. Any money left over could be used on other educational expenses like tutoring. Creighton said because the money will be managed and allocated through the Texas Comptroller’s Office, it’s different than a voucher.

JUST IN: The Senate Education Committee has voted in a 10-3 vote to PASS Senate Bill 1 to the full senate. Reminder, this bill is about education savings accounts which many say are no different than voucher programs. @ KVUE #txlege — Ford Sanders KVUE (@fordsandersTV) October 10, 2023 “Rather than it being a voucher that goes directly to the family, this is a savings account that once approved would be able to, moneys within it would be able to transfer to an approved provider for an education,” Creighton said. The Democratic senators on the committee who oppose ESAs questioned Creighton on the transparency and framework of the bill. State Sens. Royce West and José Menéndez said these types of programs are rooted in racism and segregation.