AUSTIN, Texas — Yolanda Merritt has been a special education teacher at Spring ISD for 15 years.
“I'm for the students who can’t speak. I'm for the students who are learning how to eat, how to clothe themselves,” Merritt said.
She worries about the district losing money if a so-called school choice program passes.
“Already, our school district is weakened by lack of funds. There's so many other things that we could do if we had the funding,” she said. “It just hurts my heart to think that we want to take public dollars and use it for a specific population of students.”
Merritt was among many public school teachers who came to the Capitol Tuesday to testify against a bill that would allow parents to use tax dollars to send their child to a private or charter school. It's a priority of Gov. Greg Abbott, but so far, only the Senate is showing support. The House voted against funding any voucher-like programs last week. But both sides know the fight is not over until it's over.
Rep. James Frank, R-Wichita Falls, defended his bill in front of the House public education committee. It would create education savings accounts using half a billion dollars, to be managed by the comptroller.
“It’s good for parents. It’s good for kids. And it’s good for schools,” Rep. Frank said.
Low-income families would be eligible for $10,300. Wealthier children or those already enrolled in private school could get half that amount. But not all lawmakers are sold on the idea.
“Why not just take the funds that we have and make sure that we create a setting for every child?” Rep. James Talarico, D-Round Rock, asked.
Rep. Steve Allison, R-San Antonio, said lots of private schools cost more than $10,300 a year.
"It's a little troublesome. How do we fill that gap, if there is one, particularly for less fortunate or underprivileged, lower-income families? That's a huge difference to make up,” said Rep. Allison.
Kevin O’Bryan came to the Capitol from Cedar Park. He signed up to testify for the bill. He said the money would allow his daughter Mary, who has down syndrome, to go to a private school. She moved from a public school in Leander to a charter school in Georgetown after the pandemic. O’Bryan and his wife felt the charter school was a better environment for Mary because she’s included with the rest of the student population. Still, they’d like to send her to a nearby private school, but it’s out of reach.
“I want more options for my daughter Mary with special needs,” he said. “I’ve been in conversations with a school that will accept her. The only situation is funding for me. Both my wife and I work, but we're still making clear under $100,000. And this would help us to get another option for my daughter's education.”
O’Bryan hopes he’s given the opportunity to use tax dollars for his daughter’s education.
“And if I’m able to take a day off to come down here, I’m sure there are many other fathers that would like to be here as well,” he said.
Nathan Cunneen, the communications strategist with the American Federation for Children, also supports the bill.
“The purpose of an education system is to educate kids, not to prop up any particular system,” he said.
Cunneen is a product of Florida’s school choice program. He said his family got about $7,000 a year to pay for his education.
“For 11 years, when I was growing up in the state of Florida, I was a private school choice beneficiary,” Cunneen said. “School choice completely changed my life. It's the only reason that I went on and became the first in my family to graduate from college. And now that I'm a full resident of Texas, I believe that every student and every family in the state of Texas deserves that same opportunity.”
Last week’s House vote to prohibit voucher funding in the budget sends a strong signal that these bills aren’t going anywhere. But Cunneen is banking on the conference committee–a smaller group of lawmakers in the House and Senate who figure out the final budget behind closed doors–will remove that amendment and allow school choice funding.
“That amendment is not yet law. The Senate has passed a compelling school choice bill,” Cunneen said. “With Texas leadership in support, I have a lot of hope that we can get school choice done this year.”
But Merritt wishes the half a billion dollars would instead go to teacher raises, more resources and licensed psychologists on public school campuses.
“It would be unimaginable, some of the things that we could do with that money,” Merritt said.