Mule Time Media

by Elena P.

Imagine your parents want to send you to a different school, but they can’t afford it. That’s where school vouchers come in. In Texas, there’s a big debate about whether the government should give families money to help pay for private schools, but they are taking away the money from the public school families. Some people think it’s a great idea because it gives students more choices, but others worry that it takes money away from public schools that need it. This affects students all around the state, including Alamo Heights.

Alamo Heights is an area that consists of many different types of schools, including private, public, and charter schools. Representative Vikki Goodwin has spoken up in an interview with her side of the story. “The governor would talk about making sure kids that were in failing schools had the ability to go to private schools, but in prior bills you had to be a student that was either going into kindergarten or was in public school in order to get a voucher.” Representative Goodwin has made it clear that she is not speaking alongside Governor Abbott about the school voucher issue.

Representative Gene Wu is also against school vouchers, claiming that they are misplacing school funds. “School vouchers take money away from schools, taking billions of our parents’ money away from them and investing in the vouchers.” Representative Wu suggests that we call our representatives because the future of our education in Texas is in our hands.

One of the benefits of school vouchers, according to Representative Mark LaHood, is that they increase school choice for families, potentially allowing them to select schools that better meet their children’s individual needs or learning styles. Representative LaHood stated, “I think we all want to ensure that education is the best it can be in Texas,” which is where his idea of school choice comes in. School choice allows parents to select schools for their children outside their assigned public district. Some programs provide vouchers or tax credits to help parents pay for private school tuition. LaHood added, “We have to recognize that no one system works for every child. Some children thrive in public schools, and others might need something different. It’s about empowering parents with options.” Those who oppose this idea, like Representative Wu and Representative Goodwin, think that school choice is taking the property tax that parents pay, including public school families, and supporting the students who attend private schools instead of public school communities.

In areas like Houston or Dallas, some private school tuition can be up to $30,000. School vouchers provide about $10,000 per year, and about $11,500 for students with disabilities. “It’s nowhere near the bare minimum that is needed. Schools need thousands more per student due to inflation, or else schools will close.” Representative Wu makes a statement that schools will need more money per student and that the basic allotment needs to be raised. Vikki Goodwin makes a point by saying, “We haven’t increased the basic allotment since 2019. Twenty-four percent of inflation has gone up.” The basic allotment per student needs to be up by at least $1,386.

“Most school districts have already been closing down or going from five days a week to four days.” Rural areas will be the most affected. Many families are moving to urban areas in search of better job opportunities. On top of that, students are also leaving their schools to go to urban areas because of the lack of private schools, leading to teacher unemployment. If students were given vouchers, there would be nowhere else for them to go. Unlike big cities with dozens of school choices, rural students depend entirely on the success of their local public schools. If funding is cut due to vouchers, those students could be left with fewer teachers, outdated materials, and even school closures, with little access to other alternative schools. Representatives like Goodwin and Wu argue that this creates an unfair system where students in large cities have more options, while rural students are left behind.

We urge you to support us by calling your representatives. “I need data to convince and advocate for them.” Representative LaHood strongly states that he needs information from students and schools on what they would do in this situation. We encourage other young student journalists to speak up on this issue—for the future of education for generations at a time.

Mule Time Media reached out to Governor Abbott’s office to schedule an interview regarding the school voucher issue. The request was declined multiple times, with no explanation provided.

This article will be updated as more information becomes available.