Renewed Push for Vouchers in Texas

Parents’ rights groups are advocating for Texas state lawmakers to pass legislation promoting school vouchers, according to an article from Texas Standard.

Voucher proposals for private and charter school attendance have been discussed in a number of prior legislative sessions in Texas, though past efforts have stalled in the face of bipartisan support from representatives of rural districts. Calls for school vouchers also come amidst increased support and approval for public schools: 68 percent of parents gave their school an A or B rating in a recent poll cited in the article, an increase of 12 percent over the prior 2 years.

Efforts to pass legislation for school vouchers are not expected to succeed in Texas in the immediate future, but they have gained momentum from ongoing debates around school curricula and related cultural issues.

The Texas Standard notes that while “not every parent raising curriculum concerns at school board meetings is doing so in the name of advancing vouchers,” it has helped to increase levels of support for voucher policies. Whether this support can ultimately be harnessed to pass expansive voucher policies in Texas remains to be seen. 

- D. Sparks