vouchers

Older Texans face steep ACA price hikes

Vouchers could change homeschool landscape

The passage of the state’s first voucher program means homeschool families in Texas will soon be eligible for up to $2,000 to use toward educational costs such as tutoring or curriculum. From 500,000 to 600,000 Texas children are being homeschooled — between 8% and 10% of all school-aged children, the Houston Chronicle reported. 

Voucher bill passes Senate, arrives in House

A bill to implement school vouchers in Texas sailed through the Senate largely on party lines last week and now awaits consideration in the House, the Austin American-Statesman reported. House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, said he believes there are enough votes in that chamber to pass the legislation, which was defeated a half-dozen times in 2023 by a coalition of Democratic and rural Republican members.

$1 billion for vouchers, $5 billion for teachers?

Legislative budget writers are proposing nearly $5 billion to increase teacher pay and $1 billion to implement a school voucher program in the next biennium, the Austin American-Statesman reported.

Special session likely to end with no voucher deal

As the clock ran down on the Legislature’s third special session, Texas House and Senate leaders exchanged barbs over Gov. Greg Abbott’s school choice bill and border security proposals, the Austin American-Statesman reported.

Early voting now underway

Early voting is now underway for the Nov. 7 general election. Voters will decide the fate of 14 proposed amendments, including measures to provide property tax relief and raise the homestead exemption to $100,000.

A nonpartisan explanation of what each proposition entails has been produced by the Texas Legislative Council and can be found at this link: https://tinyurl.com/5n946d32.

Abbott ties voucher passage to teacher pay, school funding

Gov. Greg Abbott, just hours after the Senate initially approved a school voucher measure, said he would add teacher raises and increased public school funding to the ongoing special session agenda if the Texas Legislature passes his voucher plan, the Texas Tribune reported.