The full Texas Senate will now get a chance to vote on a substitution bill that could establish a school voucher-like system in the state. As Houston Public Media’s Rebecca Noel reports, a Senate committee Monday approved House Bill 100, a last-ditch effort to get approval for a school voucher program this session.
The previous version of the bill would have increased the basic funding allotment for schools across the state, with no voucher provision. The substitute bill adds education savings accounts. While several education advocates spoke in support of HB 100 provisions, they largely opposed the creation of an education savings account program.
Steven Aleman is a senior policy specialist at Disability Rights Texas. He testified that a voucher-like program, which would establish education savings accounts, would not be the best way to help special needs students.
"We are under-funding public schools in meeting the needs of students with disabilities by the tune of 2 billion dollars annually. We want to see any money that would otherwise be given to ESA's given to public schools where they deserve and need those funds."
Proponents of the amended bill say it would give parents more say in their children's education. The committee voted to advance the bill to the full Senate for a vote. Governor Greg Abbott has warned he will call a special session if the legislature fails to pass school voucher-like legislation before the regular session ends May 29.