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Vouchers divert funding from public education entities and do not improve student outcomes in public education.
More Hidalgo County school districts are adding their weight to the fight against school vouchers.
Since PSJA ISD’s school board approved an anti-voucher resolution earlier this month, at least Donna and McAllen trustees have done the same, with La Joya ISD’s board set to discuss a resolution on the same front Wednesday.
Gov. Greg Abbott made “school choice” a top priority for the year, supporting that goal through vouchers or education savings accounts, which would let parents use state funding to educate their children outside public schools.
Proponents describe it as a way to empower parents; detractors say vouchers would financially gut public education in Texas with a loss of accountability.
Despite a key vote in the Texas legislature going against vouchers earlier this month, Abbott has pledged to continue fighting for them and appeared at an event in McAllen, doing so on April 12.
More local districts are digging in their feet against that possibility.
On April 11, Donna’s school board approved with little fanfare a resolution pushing for the legislature to reject vouchers.
“Vouchers divert funding from public education entities and do not improve student outcomes in public education,” Superintendent Angela Dominguez wrote in a statement. “Our schools serve all students and in Donna ISD we believe that investing in public education is the best way for the Texas legislature to support all students in Texas, especially underrepresented populations.”
On Monday, the McAllen school board approved a resolution against education savings accounts or voucher schemes as well.
A couple of trustees were noticeably frustrated by having to discuss the topic.
“They talk about vouchers, and their whole intent was to help the school districts or the areas that are not servicing their kids. But I think it’s a copout for the state — instead of fixing the situation in that district — to give them that option,” Trustee Marco Suarez said.
“We should be so confident, a state as privileged as Texas is and as large as it is, to say, ‘We are not gonna let our public education system fail. We will do whatever it takes. We will collaborate with districts that are succeeding to make sure that public schools take precedence over private schools,’” he said. “It is beyond me why a taxpayer would let their money go to a private entity when public schools are there for the purpose to serve our kids. To me, it is a huge copout.”
RELATED READING:
PSJA board approves anti-voucher resolution; calls on other districts to do the same
