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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has visited several Texas towns on his “Parent Empowerment” tour, holding rallies to speak about various issues, including his support of education savings account (ESA) legislation.
“Thank you, Houston!” Abbott wrote in a tweet March 21. “Every child in Texas has his or her own unique learning needs. We have an obligation to ensure those needs are met. This session, we’ll give parents the freedom to choose the education opportunity that best fits THEIR child.”
In the past, Abbott has been vocal about his support for school choice—allowing parents the option to enroll their children in schools outside of their designated public schools. The recent tour comes as The Texas Tribune reports the governor has spent recent months traveling throughout Texas to speak about hot-button issues including school choice, curriculum and "parental rights issues."
“Thank you Odessa for the warm West Texas welcome!” Abbott wrote in a March 24 tweet after delivering remarks in the city. “From the Permian Basin to the #RGV, Texans are ready to deliver education freedom for EVERY family. School choice will help every parent in Texas choose the best education opportunity for their child. Time to make it happen.”
In his State of the State address in February, Abbott specifically called for legislation to make education savings accounts available to all Texas students, making “education freedom an emergency item.”
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has called for similar legislation to be passed this session as well.
An education savings account bill was recently introduced to the Texas Senate, which would create education savings accounts of up to $8,000 for families to be used for private school tuition, books, tutoring, transportation, uniforms and other materials, the Dallas Morning News reported. These purchases would be overseen by a comptroller’s office. While families will not receive any money upfront with this bill, it will be used for private schools and other vendors approved by the state.
According to the report, the bill also has provisions for rural Texans to help ensure that rural school districts aren’t defunded through this. These provisions appear to be in response to criticisms of other states’ ESA bills.
Abbott has been on the “Parent Empowerment” tour for a few weeks, making many stops in Texas to get support for school choice from areas in Texas that are more reluctant to school choice legislation, such as rural areas that fear ESA legislation could defund their public schools.
This comes as KVUE reports Abbott has stated that his preferred ESA legislation would empower parents, while still improving public education in Texas.
ESAs are one of many alternatives parents in various states have to public schooling, according to TexasScorecard. These allow parents to use the financial assistance on any qualifying educational expense, not just private or charter schools. Other school choice alternatives, such as private schooling, homeschooling and charter schools, don’t allow parents to receive the benefits and funds allocated to students for public education.