The bill has support from both Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
Corey Leopold / EyeEm/Getty Images/EyeEm

Our governor is proposing vouchers to enable students to seek their education in any setting they choose and have the funding that would accrue to the local school district follow the student to that setting. Sounds good, until one looks at the long-term effects and the Texas Constitution.

Public schools must accept all students, including those with disabilities, discipline issues, substandard home lives and those with little or no parental support. Private schools have no such mandate.

Public schools must provide transportation services for students. Private schools do not have to provide transportation services.

If the voucher program extends to home-schooling, what is the likelihood that some bad acting parents would view the program as “free” money, until they are caught not educating their children. The funds will most likely not be recoverable, and the students will have lost whatever education they would have received in a public school. Then the public school will be required to provide remediation to those students to attempt to catch them up to their appropriate grade level.

The state has placed great weight on campus and district school ratings. Over time, further erosion of funding for public schools will likely degrade ratings, adding incentive to exit public schools. There is already difficulty in employing and keeping good teachers. How many good teachers would want to teach in a setting where the cards are stacked against them by the state of Texas? How many new “for profit” schools will pop up to take the cash and then disappear in short order? How will the state monitor funding expenditures and educational progress?

The Texas Constitution states: “It shall be the duty of the Legislature of the State to establish and make suitable provision for the support and maintenance of an efficient system of public free schools”. It does not say private or other educational settings. How will vouchers fill this requirement? Public dollars should fund public schools and the State should fund them adequately.

George Talbert

Lumberton