This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott, following a Republican surge on Election Day, expressed confidence in passing a school voucher program in the Texas House, marking his main legislative aim. This announcement came during his visit to Kingdom Life Academy, a Christian private school in Tyler, where he asserted that 79 “hardcore school choice proponents” are now in the House, slightly surpassing the simple majority needed in the 150-member chamber.
Abbott also pledged to support public schools with full funding, teacher pay raises, and enhanced career training for students, commitments he didn’t fulfill last year when the voucher proposal stalled in the Texas Legislature.
Previously, the Texas House voted 84-63 to remove a provision for education savings accounts from a major education funding bill, thwarted by 21 Republicans representing rural areas and all House Democrats, who feared it would undermine public school funding.
Governor Abbott actively campaigned against rural Republicans who opposed his plan, backed by influential supporters like Pennsylvania billionaire Jeff Yass, aiming to bolster school voucher initiatives nationwide.
Despite a $32 billion budget surplus last session, Abbott’s reluctance to fully fund public education led to financial challenges for public school districts, already grappling with rising living costs, expiring federal relief funds, and unfunded mandates for improving school security.
Following the successful election of 11 out of 15 pro-voucher candidates he endorsed, Abbott is optimistic about addressing public school funding needs and passing school voucher legislation in the upcoming legislative session.
“They make it sound like you can’t have both school choice and robust public schools,” Abbott stated. “That’s completely false. The reality is we can have the best public schools in America and also have school choice at the very same time. It does not have to be one or the other, and it’s wrong to pit one against the other.”
Kingdom Life Academy, where Abbott highlighted his party’s success, is a financially struggling private school offering “practical, Christ-centered learning” to predominantly Black and Hispanic students. This aligns with the narrative promoted by school voucher supporters like Abbott and Joel Enge, the school’s founder, advocating vouchers as a means to provide educational opportunities for the state’s most vulnerable students.
“I was a public school teacher in Tyler for over 20 years. … I watched students drop out of school in their hearts because they did not fit traditional education,” said Enge, who is Black. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to continue to fight and see school choice open up doors for more students and more families who need an alternative education.”
While proponents argue that vouchers enhance educational opportunities, critics note that many beneficiaries are wealthier families who already afford private tuition, leaving poorer communities with limited use of vouchers.
Research indicates that vouchers do not consistently improve standardized test scores for low-income students, a common Republican metric for education decisions, sometimes resulting in declines. Advocates argue benefits lie in increased school competition and parental satisfaction.
Related: TikTok billionaire spends millions on Texas candidates supporting school voucher efforts
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