Republican state representative files bill to boost school funding & create taxpayer-funded education savings accounts
AUSTIN (CBSNewsTexas.com) — For years, the legislative math in the Texas House has kept bills from passing that would provide taxpayer-financed education savings accounts.
On Thursday night, Representative Brad Buckley (R-Killeen) introduced HB 1 as part of the ongoing third special session called by Governor Greg Abbott.
It provides more than $4,600 in taxpayer subsidies for students to attend private school.
The measure would also give public school teachers a $4,000 retention payment, with the goal of keeping them from leaving the profession.
The legislation would also give school districts more money per student: raising it by $30 from $6,160 to $6,190 the first year, and another $300 the next year to $6,500.
Buckley was unavailable for an interview Friday.
Speaker Dade Phelan spoke with reporters early last week about the issue. "We'll have negotiations like we always do."
The House bill—which combines public school funding increases and school choice or vouchers, depending how you feel about them—takes a different path from Gov. Abbott, who said he would only consider boosting public school funding after his school choice plan passes both chambers.
But the speaker said school choice won't be approved without more money for school districts and teachers. "The House is going to have its own path, that's all I can worry about—what House members want and don't want. I do feel like we can come to terms. It's going to take not just a path forward on school choice, but also school finance."
The bill passed by the Republican majority in the Senate, SB 1, provides more taxpayer money for education savings accounts than the House version.
It provides $8,000 in taxpayer subsidies for students to attend private school.
A separate bill passed by the Senate last week, SB 2, provides a $3,000 bonus for most teachers, while teachers in small and medium-size school districts would get a $7,000 bonus.
The school districts would see their per-student allotment go up by $75 to $6,235.
Senate Republicans celebrated last week when their bill passed.
Education chair Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe) said, "We will lead in Texas to create and produce a model today that will be a model for the nation to follow."
Democratic lawmakers have remained strongly opposed to the bills, which they call a voucher scam.
