A statement from District 1 State Representative Gary VanDeaver:

On Wednesday, State Representative Gary VanDeaver (R-New Boston) was involved in the hours-long debate and discussion by the Texas House of Representatives on Education Savings Account (ESA; school voucher) legislation, Senate Bill 2. Early this morning about 2 a.m., the House voted 85 – 63 to approve Senate Bill 2 on second reading. The bill passed the House on 3rd reading today on an 86 – 61 vote. Senate Bill 2 will go back to the Texas Senate and a 10-member conference committee will work out the differences between the two versions of SB 2 before a final vote is taken later this session before adjourning on June 2.

Rep. VanDeaver has consistently raised concerns about the financial impact an ESC/school voucher program will have on our state’s smaller, rural school districts and the educational opportunities available to their students. VanDeaver said: “Student success equals state success.”

The state currently has a significant budget surplus, and the House version of SB 2 sets aside $1 billion for the first two years of the ESA program. The House has also adopted House Bill 2 that dramatically increases funding for our public schools to help them offset the years of inflation and other funding challenges. Funding for our public schools had not increased since 2019, so our schools were falling further behind. House Bill 2 adds $7.7 billion in additional funding and raises the Basic Allotment.

Challenges will come though when the Texas economy takes a downward turn, and there is no longer a healthy state surplus forcing future legislatures to cut funding. In previous economic downturns, the state of Texas prorated funding for our public schools, as well as cut over $5 billion from the public-school budget in 2011. When the Texas economy has a downward cycle, serious discussions and hard decisions will have to be made in how to fund our schools. Do limited tax dollars go to our public schools, or do they go to the private schools?

Regardless of those future budget decisions, the state of Texas is on the cusp of having a taxpayer-funded voucher program. Though I did not vote for SB 2, I believe we all should work hard to ensure its success and that it fulfills the promises and expectations of those who have supported bringing a voucher program to Texas. We should do everything possible to not only ensure the success of the voucher program but also the success of our public schools. Doing anything less not only endangers the success of all our students and their futures but also the continued success of the state of Texas.