Senate Education Committee holds first hearing on school… | TCTA
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Senate Education Committee holds first hearing on school vouchers

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The new Senate K-16 Education Committee met Tuesday, Jan. 28, to hear public testimony on SB 2, the session’s flagship voucher bill. 

SB 2 would establish “education savings accounts,” another term for school vouchers. The program would allocate $10,000 per student per year to pay for private school tuition ($11,500 for students with disabilities), or $2,000 per student per year for other types of educational services like private tutoring or homeschool materials. Parents can apply to access the funds, and the program would accept as many applicants as possible until the appropriated funds run out.

Every bill comes with a fiscal note which is an official estimate of how much the legislation would cost the state if enacted. SB 2’s fiscal note indicates that the bill would cost almost $4 billion by 2030, including around $800 million in losses to the Foundation School Program that supports public school districts.

TCTA submitted written testimony against the bill, citing concerns about the potential for the program to balloon to an unsustainable level at the expense of the public education system. Much of the conversation around school voucher programs revolves around “parental choice,” but TCTA pointed out that parents already have extensive options for their child’s education and that an expensive voucher program would do little to change that.

The committee voted 9-2 to advance SB 2 to the full Senate, which could take up the bill as early as Wednesday, Feb. 5.

The bill is certain to be one of the most controversial of the session, and TCTA will provide frequent updates on the bill’s journey through the legislature.