About 2 percent of families with school-age children in Texas would receive $10,000 from the state to set up an education savings account under a plan approved by the Senate. 

After being fast-tracked through the Senate, Texas Senate Bill 2 heads to the House for consideration.

Providing public money to families for private education has been a contentious topic in the Texas Legislature for years. Critics contend the state would be providing school vouchers. But the author, Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, is adamant that this isn’t a voucher program. 

“This is an education savings account with the strongest anti-fraud projections in the country,” Creighton said. “The money would be directed from the Comptroller.”  

The education savings accounts would provide $10,000 per year per student, $11,500 for students with disabilities and at least $2,000 for homeschooling families.

Parents can use this money to pay for educational expenses such as tuition, instructional materials, higher education courses, trade certificates, assessment costs, different therapies and transportation.

Prioritization of Low-Income Families

Senate Bill 2 dedicates 80 percent of the education savings accounts to low-income families, or “a household with a total annual income that is at or below 500 percent of the federal poverty guidelines,” according to the bill. The remaining 20 percent of available funds would be awarded through a lottery system to applicants of any income level.

Creighton said a family consisting of a firefighter and a teacher with three or four children is an example of a household that would fall under this income threshold.

The bill does not include provisions for families with multiple children.

Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, questioned the low-income designation. He said the guidelines mean a family of four with an annual household income of roughly $156,000 would fall under the threshold. 

“The average income, or median income in the state of Texas for a family of four is about $76,000,” West said. “And so this does not prioritize — at least I don’t see it — the lowest income in our state.”

Is it Enough?

Opponents question whether the $10,000 allotment is enough to cover private school education. But supporters noted Texas is providing more than the average when compared to other states.

The average cost of tuition among all private schools K-12 in Texas is $11,050.

To close a funding gap, Creighton said students going from public school to private might need assistance “through private philanthropy or scholarships within that school or that community, they would need to find a way to fill that difference, as is the case today.”

Public School Funding

Critics of the plan see it as a drain on the state’s public school system because it takes students out of public schools to attend private schools. The House and Senate have set aside $1 billion for the program. Opponents want the money to be spent on improving the public school system.

“You know, I would be more than happy to support something as innovative as this, after we support our public schools,” said Sen. José Menéndez, D-San Antonio.

Creighton assured the committee that even though Senate Bill 2 is the only legislation currently being discussed, it’s not being considered in a vacuum.

“It’s important for everyone to know the multiples and multiples of bills that we have to lift up public education with unprecedented funding and support for teachers,” Creighton said.

What’s Next?

Gov. Greg Abbott made Senate Bill 2 an emergency item during his State of the State address on Sunday.

The Senate passed the bill in a 19-12 vote on Wednesday evening. All 11 Democratic senators and one Republican, Sen. Robert Nichols of Jacksonville, voted against the proposal. 

The bill moves to the Texas House where similar legislation was defeated in 2023.