Most Texas voucher recipients were already enrolled in private school
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At least 70% of Texas kids awarded school vouchers were previously enrolled in private schools or were homeschooled, per data obtained by Axios through a request under the Texas Public Information Act.
Why it matters: The data undercuts a major argument for the vouchers — that they would chiefly help Texans hoist their kids out of failing public schools.
By the numbers: The comptroller's office is seeking $2.3 billion in the coming two-year budget to administer the program.
- The comptroller's office also says it would need an additional $980 million to fund the roughly 106,000 children on the voucher waiting list.
- The Legislature approved $1 billion for the program last year, which offers $10,474 per eligible child for private school tuition and $2,000 per homeschooled student. Students with disabilities can receive up to $30,000 to attend a private school.
What they're saying: The money is "primarily subsidizing private school for families who can already afford it, rather than expanding opportunities," Dee Carney, director of the Texas Center of Voucher Transparency at Our Schools Our Democracy (OSOD), a nonprofit that advocates for public schools, tells Axios.
The other side: Gov. Greg Abbott "delivered education freedom because every Texas parent deserves the opportunity to choose the school that best serves their child," Andrew Mahaleris, Abbott's press secretary, told Axios via email.
- "The Texas Education Freedom Accounts program prioritizes low-income families and students with disabilities, and the vast majority of participants come from those households."
Between the lines: 80% of participating students are in a family with a household income below 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL), or $66,000 for a family of four.
- But nearly half of the waitlisted applicants are from families that earn at least $165,000 for a family of four. And 80% of the students on the list were not previously enrolled in public school, per information obtained by OSOD from an open records request.