SB 276 is an excellent bill that would give parents more choices when it comes to their children’s education. It was introduced by Sen. Donna Campbell (R-District 25). Click hereto read the bill as well as watch its progress through the legislature.
Background:
- Texas has over five million public school students.
- The state allots approximately $8,600 per student per year. This amounts to about $43 billion per year in tax-payer funding for the education of Texas children. Currently it is the largest expenditure in the biennial budget of Texas.
- In 2013, 892 schools were identified by the Texas Education Agency as failing – putting more than a half-million Texas children in failing schools.
- Charter schools, free private schools which are tax-payer funded, restrict their enrollments and thousands of students remain on waiting lists.
Talking Points:
- SB 276, the Taxpayer Savings Grant Program, would take education dollars, allocated by the Legislature for the education of Texas children, and allow parents to direct 60 percent of the yearly allocation per student to a private school for the education of their child.
- The remaining 40 percent would stay in the school district.
- The dollars remaining could facilitate smaller class sizes in the public schools to increase educational opportunities, maintain facilities or other designations as provided for by the Legislature.
- Parents make the choice of which private school their child will attend.
- The difference in cost between the Savings Grant and private school tuition is the responsibility of the parent or guardian.
- The Texas Education Agency currently has no oversight of private schools in Texas. The Agency cooperates with the Texas Accreditation Commission to enable students who want to transfer from private schools to public schools. This bill keeps that position in place.
- All students currently enrolled in a Texas public school are eligible for the grant including entering Kindergarten students.
- Making decisions about the education of their children is an inherent right of parents whether they have safety concerns, educational inadequacy concerns, or positions on community values.
A date has not yet been set for SB 276 to be heard in the Senate Education Committee, so please take action as soon as possible.
Take Action:
- Please contact your State Senator and ask him/her to support SB 276. If you do not know who your senator is, simply click here and then fill in your address under “Who Represents Me?”
- Forward this e-alert to your friends and acquaintances and urge them to contact their State Senator.
- If you have relevant testimony regarding this issue, please contact me, and I will tell you how to go about testifying in person, or in writing, before the Senate Education Committee
Pray and ask the Lord to give us victory in this matter.