Gov. Abbott and Lt. Gov. Patrick say they want to raise teacher pay, but, if finally enacted, SB 2, the voucher bill passed by the Senate, would make it increasingly more difficult for public school classrooms to be adequately funded and public school teachers to be adequately paid.
The Legislative Budget Board’s fiscal note on SB 2 projects that after an initial cost of about $1 billion during the 2026-27 biennium, the bill would balloon into a $7 billion tax giveaway for private schools in the 2028-29 budget period. After that, who knows how high it would soar? Meanwhile, our already underfunded public schools would see their financial problems increase – and more teachers disappear from classrooms – as they continued to educate most of Texas’ students.
The Senate bill sponsor questions the budget experts’ forecast, which is based on anticipated growth in the program. But the governor hasn’t invested a mountain of political effort in this plan to see it curtailed. If this universal voucher plan is approved this year, it will be expanded at a significant cost in the future.
