Non-profit estimates a $2.25 billion hit to public schools if Texas' school choice program becomes a reality
If Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's school choice program crosses the finish line, a non-profit started by nuns believes it will cost public schools billions.
Like most parents, Sidney and Cristina Latour are trying to make the best decision for their children's future. Their son, Remy, and daughter, Rene, are public school students.
"I ensure that they know that they're loved and that they're taken care of and that they know that they will have a proper education," Cristina Latour said.
Part of the kids' education outside the classroom is watching their mother, a PTA president, raise her voice and concern against Abbott's school choice program. Latour is against using public funds to send children to private schools.
"I'm concerned that our children aren't getting the adequate funding they need. It's 2025. We're running on a 2019 fiscal budget," she said. "We need funding so the students can have the teachers, the help, the pay, the things that they need to just survive."
Abbott, who believes the votes in Austin favor the program, said school vouchers have succeeded in more than 30 states. The governor is trying to make Texas the latest and the largest to join that list.
"It is an inequitable and inefficient system of education," Jaime Puente said.
Puente is the director of Economic Opportunity for Every Texan, a nonprofit organization that was founded by nuns in Boerne. Every Texan who said the school voucher proposals are nothing doesn't support the idea.
"Like we always have to fight for funding for public education. It has been a fight to fund public education for 40 or 50 years in Texas, right?" Puente said. "Why would creating a third unequal system do anything but take from an already strained public school system?"
The organization said the estimated impact of school vouchers would be $2.25 billion. Every Texan researched what would happen if students left at 1%, 3% and 5%.
According to their analysis, the Plano Independent School District could lose $3,972,172 if 1% departs. It's closer to $ 11,781,517 walking out the door if 3% leave and $ 19,635,862 if 5% go. That doesn't include any recapture or Robinhood fees for the property-rich area required to give money to the state for economically challenged districts.
The organization revealed the same could happen at Frisco ISD, where losses could start at $5,468,526 (1%), $16, 405, 578 (3%) and, if there is a 5%student flight, rise to over $27,342,631.
Fort Worth ISD's analysis could see $5,829,268 to $29,129,945 in funding vanish.
Dallas ISD may see the most significant financial drop of $11,412,576 if 1% of students choose the voucher program. At 5%, DISD could watch an estimated $57,079,279 leave the system.
Abbott touted the benefits of education savings account vouchers for parents statewide. Puente said the opposite, especially for smaller school districts.
"It's the small districts where one, two, three, or even five students leaving for an ESA voucher would really hurt those districts," he said. "Those are the districts they can't afford to lose any money."
The Texas Senate sent its version of the vouchers proposal to the Texas House. Senators believe that students attending accredited private schools should get up to $10,000 per student yearly. Students with disabilities would get $11,500.