Dallas City Wire

Tommy Schultz, CEO of American Federation for Children Texas (AFC-TX), expressed the organization's support for a recent school choice bill filed by Texas Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe), chair of the Texas State Senate Committee on Education.

AFC-TX hopes the Legislature will pass Senate Bill 8, supported by Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R-TX), which includes an Education Savings Account (ESA) program for Texas families, while protecting smaller districts who might lose students.

"Every child in Texas deserves the opportunity to attend the school that best fits his or her needs," Schultz said in an AFC news release. "The bold legislation introduced today by Sens. Creighton and (Angela) Paxton and Rep. (James) Frank would give every student more educational choices and create the largest Education Savings Account program in the country. AFC-TX is also grateful to Gov. Abbott and Lt. Gov. Patrick, for their vigorous leadership on this vital issue and will work hand-in-hand with them to deliver educational freedom to all Texans."

The American Federation for Children (AFC) advocates for "funding students instead of systems," allowing families to choose from a range of high-quality educational options, regardless of income. Their mission is "to empower families, particularly those with lower incomes, to select the best K-12 education for their children."

The organization works toward its mission by advocating for school choice issues at the state and national level, providing families with the freedom to choose the best education for their child, connecting them to education resources, and identifying and developing future leaders in the school choice movement. Overall, the American Federation for Children believes in providing families with the power to choose the best education for their children and aims to create a future where every child has access to a high-quality education.

According to the The Dallas Morning News, a group of Republican senators, led by Creighton, proposed an education bill on March 10 that would set up an ESA program, dedicating $8,000 per student.

“Giving parents the power to determine the best school for their child will encourage competition and innovation, ensuring that each Texas student has the opportunity to succeed,” Creighton told The Dallas Morning News.

If passed, the legislation would allow families to use ESAs to pay for private school tuition, books, tutoring, transportation and other materials, such as uniforms. The funds would be overseen by the comptroller's office, and vendors would be required to apply to the state for approval, which includes being accredited for private schools. The ESA program would take effect in the 2024-25 school year, and the proposal is likely to change as it moves through the legislative process.

The ESA proposal has already gained support from eight Republican senators, and Patrick has made it a focus for the session, according to The Dallas Morning News. However, urban Democrats and rural Republicans oppose school choice bills, claiming they will divert funds from public schools in Texas.

The bill includes a provision that says public school districts with fewer than 20,000 students would receive a significant benefit from a "hold harmless" provision, ensuring that their funding is not abruptly and substantially impacted when students leave. These schools would be granted $10,000 for every student who departs for a private school, exceeding the base payment of about $6,000 per student that public schools typically receive.

According to the AFC website, 73% of parents support school choice programs while 702,000 students are currently in a school choice program across the country.