Parents of children with disabilities across Texas said they are anxious about the future of the state’s new school voucher program after Democrats, fresh off winning every open statewide office, vowed to gut it.
The program, called Texas Education Freedom Accounts, began this school year. It gave more than 110,000 families public money for private school tuition or homeschooling costs, per reports. The state comptroller’s office said more than 18,800 of those students have disabilities.
What Did the Parents Say?
Kelci Jagge of San Antonio said her adopted son, Ruslan, who has cerebral palsy and a seizure disorder, could not make it through a full day at his public school.
The family turned to homeschooling. The $2,000 homeschool allowance now helps her pay for adaptive supplies and a literacy program she said she could not otherwise afford.
“I wouldn’t have normally went and bought (the buzzers) on my own because it’s like, ‘Do I want to spend that money on something I don’t know if he will use?’ Well, we really have used it quite a bit,” Jagge said.
“I never would have been able to buy that (reading materials) out of pocket,” she complained.
Other parents shared similar accounts. Elizamae Dowd of Copperas Cove said her autistic 11-year-old daughter was bullied at her public school.
The girl is reportedly now attending a private school in Killeen that serves neurodivergent students and Dowd said she is thriving.
Another parent, Joy Smith of Roanoke said the funds eased the cost of therapy and curriculum for her 7-year-old son, who has autism.
Families with a child in private school qualify for about $10,500 a year. Students with disabilities can receive up to $30,000, though few get the maximum.
How Did Democrats Push To Direct Money
Democrats, who also won a state House majority for the first time in more than two decades, argue the money belonged in public schools. Governor-Elect Gina Hinojosa described the program as a “scam” in her victory speech. Notably, voucher critics estimated that public schools will lose at least $227 million this year as students leave.
Hinojosa could veto funding for the program in the next state budget, though she didn’t say whether she will. Lawmakers have filed bills to repeal it, including one by state Senator Royce West, a Democrat from Dallas.
Incoming Comptroller Sarah Eckhardt, a Democrat who opposes vouchers, has announced an audit but said she will carry out the law.
Would Lawmakers Pull Support From Students
Some Democrats said they are open to protecting families of students with disabilities. Representative Diego Bernal, D-San Antonio, said he does not believe lawmakers want to pull support from those students. Representative John Bucy, D-Austin, said he would consider letting current participants keep their funding.
Critics of vouchers reportedly said the state should instead fully fund special education in public schools, which serve more than 910,000 Texas students with disabilities.
Jennifer Keese, a Plano mother who runs a microschool for students with autism, said she supports public schools but will not send her son back to a system that failed him.
