TSHA Capitol Watch

April 20, 2023

Capitol Watch is the TSHA Legislative Team’s vehicle for keeping members informed of activity at the state capitol and in other state regulatory meetings.

If you have questions regarding this or other Capitol Watch postings, please contact a member of the TSHA Legislative Team:

• Bobbie Kay Turkett, VP for Advocacy (government@txsha.org)
• Larry Higdon, Director of Governmental Relations (lwhtsha@gmail.com)
• Mark Hanna, Legal and Legislative Counsel

Issue

Currently school voucher bills are being heard in various committees that would create an education savings account program that would provide up to $8,750 of state funds to individuals for educational expenses such as private school tuition. 

According to the Texas Association of School Boards, the bill “creates added levels of bureaucracy and governmental monitoring while increasing opportunities for financial malfeasance by establishing middlemen to aggregate voucher funds and distribute them to families—for an administrative fee, of course.”

Take Action Now

Contact your representatives and members of the committee and let them know how you feel about this bill. Don't use your school or hospital email address. Use your personal email address. Give personal example(s) of the detrimental effects this legislation would have on the schools—and particularly special education—in your town/district.

Below are some talking points provided by the Texas Association of School Boards:

• Private schools aren’t required to accept all students, including those who need special education services, have disciplinary histories, or are at risk of dropping out. The truth is that private schools are more likely to reject these students.
• Parents lose their rights when they move their special needs child to a private school.
• Parents lose their protections under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) if they accept a voucher.
• Parents would not be able to access due process under admissions, review, and dismissal (ARD) committees as well as other federal protections.
• Private schools do not have the same level of accountability to parents, the state, and taxpayers as public schools do. 

How Do I Contact My Senator or Representative?

Please click below to visit a page from Texas Legislature Online, identify your state senator and/or representative, and learn how to contact them. Be sure to use your personal email address and not your school or hospital email address when contacting your legislators. Any questions? Please contact your TSHA Legislative Team. 

Want a Faster Way to Contact Your Senator or Representative?

Please visit the Texas Legislature Directory, find your senator and/or representative's Twitter handle, log into your Twitter account, and click the button below to automatically draft a tweet from your personal Twitter account to share TSHA's stance on school voucher legislation. Be sure to tag your senator and/or representative before sending the tweet!