Now, in 2023, some are mounting another aggressive campaign to give a handful of students public funds for private school tuition and services at the expense of all other Texas students, schools, and communities.

Once again, Texans must reject voucher schemes that:

reduce fair access to educational opportunity
cut into already inadequate public school budgets
disproportionately hurt our rural schools
weaken rights for students with disabilities
expose taxpayers to fraud

NO MATTER THE NAME, THEY ARE VOUCHERS

Vouchers are taxpayer-funded government subsidies for private schools and vendors.

When the state should be focused on moving Texas out of the bottom ten in per-pupil spending, a voucher program that diverts hundreds of millions from our public schools is tone-deaf and negligent.

Often repackaged under different names, vouchers may have varying mechanics or eligibility requirements, but they are still vouchers, with the same shortcomings and the same devastating impacts.

Vouchers Are Dangerous

Poor track record

Students using vouchers tend to perform worse academically
Increased segregation
Loss of student rights provided under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Fewer resources for public schools to cover same hard costs

No accountability

Not subject to the same rules as public schools
Shirks responsibility for ensuring quality education for all students
Increasing risk of fraud using taxpayer funds

No transparency

No oversight for what is spent
No standards for what is taught
No monitoring of how students perform

Not intended for all

Private schools do not have to serve all students
Vouchers would not cover full costs for most private school tuition
Only those with means could afford the difference in costs
Most who would use them already are in private schools

vouchers are especially devastating to rural communities

Small and rural districts make up around 50% of our districts. Rural schools are the heart of these communities.

Public schools in rural areas…

are often the only source of education opportunities.
do so much more than educate kids.
already have limited resources.

Vouchers would…

take funding from rural schools.
further strain rural school budgets.
send rural dollars to urban metro area students to attend private schools.
divert rural funds to private vendors running fly-by-night operations.
not help in rural areas where private school options are limited or nonexistent.
not help in bringing much-needed broadband access to public schools.

“bracketing” is
not the answer!

“Bracketing” rural schools is a political maneuver…not a solution to what rural Texas needs.

We need support for all public schools — especially rural schools — not vouchers.

Public schools have been underfunded for too long.
Public schools need continued investment to help students recover from the impacts of COVID.
Elected officials need to focus on ensuring the quality of every public school.
Our rural communities need strong public schools.

Tell lawmakers to reject vouchers once and for all.

Tell them to oppose any form of vouchers that use taxpayer dollars to subsidize private schools and vendors.
Tell them to support school choice and innovation within the Texas public school system.
Tell them to support our local public schools across Texas!

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