The 84th Texas Legislature is officially in session and once again the mantra regarding “school choice” is chanted throughout the Capitol halls, “We have a moral responsibility to rescue students in low performing schools”.  The solution, as supported by several legislators and the Lt. Governor, is to provide vouchers or taxpayer savings grants, also referred to as tax credits, to students attending the low performing schools.

A voucher would require the state to send funds directly to the private school.  Tax credits/taxpayer savings grants are “back-door vouchers”.  These grants come in the form of tax credits, including personal-use tax credits that would reimburse parents for private school costs, or donation tax credits, which provide a tax credit to individuals or corporations who donate to an education scholarship fund.

Senator Donna Campbell has filed SB 276, claiming to be “state savings and government efficiency achieved through a taxpayer savings grant program administered by the comptroller!”  If enacted, parents would receive a reimbursement in an amount that is 60% of the state average expenditure per student, not the average of the state entitlement/revenue per student. 

SB 276 would allocate more state funds (tax dollars) to students accepting the voucher/tax saving grants, than students attending the public schools.  (The average “state” entitlement/revenue per student is currently 42% of the total revenue for districts, excluding federal programs.)

This “voucher” bill, as well as those filed in the past, states a private school may not be required to comply with any state law or rule governing the school’s education program that was not in effect on January 1, 2015.  In other words, the one indicator that has been the rod to beat down our students, our teachers, our schools will not be applicable for private schools or students that are home schooled.   The state assessment system, one test administered on one day, which can result in a low performing rating for your public school, is deemed unimportant and of no value in assessing the performance of students in non-public school settings.

Will vouchers/tax credits save dollars for the Texas? During the 83rd Legislative Session, the voucher proposal was based on $5,143 per student that reflected 60% of the average state entitlement/revenue per child, not expenditure per child.  It was touted as a huge savings of $2,469 per child or $2 billion in the first 2 years if 6.3% left the public school system during the first year and 7.6%, the second year.  

The Texas Legislative Budget Board, HB 33 from the 82nd Session, did not reflect this type of savings to the state.  Due to the timing of the payments to parents, the state’s savings would lag the first year, with a net impact loss of $196 million the first 2 years.  (Moak and Casey Associates) The current political rhetoric is based on expenditure, rather than state revenue, which will increase the financial liability for the state.

If state tax dollars are to be used for private purposes, the following questions must be asked and answered by our politicians:

Will private schools retain the right to charge tuition above the value of the voucher?
Will private schools that receive state aid ( vouchers or taxpayer grants)  be eligible to request additional funds to provide the necessary services required for the very special high needs students? 
Will a private school that receives state aid (vouchers or taxpayer grants) be required to meet the same regulations as public schools?
Will a private school that receives state aid (vouchers or taxpayer grants) be required to administer the state mandated curriculum and student assessments?
Will private schools and home schools that receive state aid or taxpayer grants be allowed to teach common core curriculum?
Will a private school be subjected to the same accountability standards as public schools?
Will a private school retain the right of student refusal based on disability, academic achievement, religious beliefs or discipline?
Will a private school, receiving students that are eligible for free and reduced meals, be required to offer meals under this federal program?
Will vouchers (tax payer savings grants) limit the religious instruction (Christian and Non-Christian) offered in private schools?
Will the state assume the responsibility of managing and monitoring families that receive vouchers or taxpayer grants to home school their children?
Will the state offer vouchers/tax payer savings grants for all students currently enrolled in private schools or home schooled?
Will voucher funds (taxpayer savings grants) be allocated by average daily attendance, requiring private schools/home schoolers to report daily attendance with required hours of instruction to receive the funds for that day of instruction?
Will the private school/home schooler have to reimburse the state if the student(s) withdraw from the private school during the year and wish to re-enroll in the public school.
Will private schools be required to participate in the PEIMS reporting system?

A final question for our legislators,

“Will vouchers/tax payer savings grants given to the private sector meet the fiduciary responsibility required for the accountability of public funds?”

Resouces:  Moak, Casey and Associates, School Finance & Accountability Experts, Austin Texas, Ronald Trowbridge who was chief of staff to Chief Justice Warren Burger