LWVTX Educational Savings Accounts SB 1 Toolkit 2023
A comprehensive toolkit for local Leagues, members, and partners to advocate against SB 1, introduced the third special session of the Texas 88th legislature, which establishes Educational Savings Accounts (ESAs).
Overview
In the third special session of the Texas 88th legislature, SB 1 would create taxpayer-funded educational savings accounts to subsidize private schools. Numerous independent studies show they do not produce greater academic gains than public schools and do not provide a way out of poverty for poor students. The vast majority of our students (more than 90%) still need high-quality, fully funded public schools.
Talking Points
Tagline:
Public funds should stay in public schools!
Introduction:
Numerous independent studies show that vouchers (or educational savings accounts) do not produce greater academic gains than public schools and do not provide a way out of poverty for poor students.
Bullet points:
Private schools are not required to:
- Follow the state curriculum.
- Hire qualified teachers.
- Address special education (IDEA) and English learner (ELL) requirements.
- Report standardized testing to the state
- Answer to the same federal anti-discrimination rules as public schools
- Respond to transparency concerns
Optional talking point for rural Leagues:
Rural residents are left to foot the tax bill for urban private schools.
Action Alerts: Letters to Your Legislators
Visit our Take Action page and use our Action Alert system to automatically send letters to your legislators, educating them about our stance on SB 1 and educational savings accounts.
Sample Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
The Legislature is again considering educational savings accounts. The current bill, SB 1, is a bad deal for Texas children. Proponents argue that the money is coming from general revenue, not current public school funding; that school funding is being increased in a separate bill (SB 2); and that 90% of the accounts go to low-income children and children with disabilities. The problem is there is no guarantee that funding will continue to be from general revenue when there is no surplus; the Governor did not call for additional school funding when he called the special session which would allow him to veto that money; and there is no guarantee in the bill that any of the funds, much less 90%, will go to disadvantaged children.
The bill also allows children already in private school to receive these vouchers and once a child has received a voucher, the child cannot be rejected for future vouchers so long as the child is eligible. This is not school choice, this is an entitlement for the affluent.
Sample Newsletter Article
Educational Savings Accounts (SB 1)
The third special session of the 88th Legislature has begun with educational savings accounts front and center. The bill currently under consideration is SB 1. After a single hearing, the bill has passed the Senate. The bill creates a fund from general revenues to be administered by the Comptroller through private contractors. The amount of the grant from the state is $8,000 per eligible child per year and every child of school age is eligible, including children already enrolled in private school. In the event there are more applicants than funds available, the grants will be allocated by lottery with not more than 40% of slots for children eligible for free or reduced lunch; 30% for children with family income between 185%-500% the federal poverty rate; and 20% for children with disabilities. The remaining funds will go to all applicants.
The Senate has also passed SB 2 which would increase state funding for public schools. The Governor’s proclamation calling this session specified educational savings accounts. It remains to be seen whether SB 2 is a hostage for passage of SB 1.
Proponents of the bill tout three things: 1) The money is coming from the general revenue, not school funding; 2) The funding for public schools is being increased; and 3) 90% of the slots are for low income or disabled students. None of this is persuasive and the League is opposing SB 1.
Studies have shown that vouchers do not benefit disadvantaged students. The money is not enough to cover all the costs of private education; there are significant barriers to accessing the vouchers; and with no requirement that private schools change their admissions criteria, these students may not be accepted to private school.
None of these issues is addressed in SB 1. The amount of the grant does not cover the average cost of private school in Texas. The program will be administered by private companies whose only responsibility to educate the public is to publish a handbook on their websites. The application will be online. Furthermore, the language of the bill regarding the lottery for slots while confusing, creates no guarantee that disadvantaged students will be prioritized. An interesting provision of the bill prevents the companies managing the grant application from rejecting a child year after year once the child has been awarded a grant.
As a result, it is entirely possible that in the first school year that these vouchers are available, all the slots will be taken by children already attending private school and will be guaranteed a grant every year thereafter. The legislature is likely going to have to continue to increase the funding for the program year after year as the population increases. The money is available now because of surplus state funds. If there is no surplus and all the children in the program are entitled to continue until they graduate it is an open question as to what will happen. Additionally, while SB 2 does increase state funding for public schools there is no guarantee that the Governor will sign the bill if he believes it is outside the scope of the special session.
Watch for Action Alerts and the Capitol Action report from LWV Texas as these bills are taken up in the House.
Sample Social Media Posts
Use these promotional materials to post on social media about SB 1 and educational savings accounts.
Relevant hashtags: #PublicFunds4PublicSchools
Graphics:
Click on the links below to download the graphics for Facebook/Instagram and Twitter from our Google Drive, or right click on the image and choose "Save image as" to save to your computer.
Sample Posts:
OPTION 1: (Twitter)
**ACTION ALERT** Tell your state representatives that public funds should stay in public schools! SB 1 would create taxpayer-funded educational savings accounts to subsidize unaccountable private schools. Take action here: http://lwvtexas.org/take-action. #PublicFunds4PublicSchools
OPTION 2: (Twitter)
**ACTION ALERT** Tell your state representative that public funds should stay in public schools! Gov. Abbot is holding a major school funding increase hostage in order to pass SB 1, which would create taxpayer-funded educational savings accounts to subsidize unaccountable private schools. #PublicFunds4PublicSchools
Get more info and take action here: http://lwvtexas.org/take-action.
OPTION 3: (Facebook/Instagram)
**ACTION ALERT** Tell your state representative that public funds should stay in public schools! In the third special session of the 88th legislature, SB 1 would create taxpayer-funded educational savings accounts to subsidize unaccountable private schools. Numerous independent studies show they do not produce greater academic gains than public schools.
Private schools are not required to:
*Follow the state curriculum.
*Hire qualified teachers.
*Address special education (IDEA) and English learner (ELL) requirements.
*Report standardized testing to the state
*Answer to the same federal anti-discrimination rules as public schools
*Respond to transparency concerns
Studies show they do not provide a way out of poverty for poor students. The vast majority of our students (more than 90%) still need high-quality, fully funded public schools.
Take action here: lwvtexas.org/take-action.
OPTION 4: (Facebook/Instagram)
**ACTION ALERT** Tell your state representative that public funds should stay in public schools! Governor Abbot is holding a major school funding increase hostage in order to pass SB 1, which would create taxpayer-funded educational savings accounts to subsidize unaccountable private schools.
Private schools are not required to:
*Follow the state curriculum.
*Hire qualified teachers.
*Address special education (IDEA) and English learner (ELL) requirements.
*Report standardized testing to the state
*Answer to the same federal anti-discrimination rules as public schools
*Respond to transparency concerns
If this bill works like it has in other states, we can expect to see existing private school students use most of the funds, while legislators move more and more funding from our public school funds into the voucher program. Don’t be fooled by Abbott’s “carrot” of additional public school funding for the next two years. Ask your state representative to hold the line for the sake of our public schools’ long-term funding.
Take action here: lwvtexas.org/take-action.
OPTION 5: (Rural, Facebook/Instagram)
**ACTION ALERT** Tell your state representative that public funds should stay in public schools! Governor Abbot is holding SB 2, a major school funding increase hostage in order to pass his voucher bill, SB 1. SB 1 would create taxpayer-funded educational savings accounts to subsidize unaccountable private schools, largely in urban areas, while rural residents are left to foot the tax bill.
Private schools are not required to:
*Follow the state curriculum.
*Hire qualified teachers.
*Address special education (IDEA) and English learner (ELL) requirements.
*Report standardized testing to the state
*Answer to the same federal anti-discrimination rules as public schools
*Respond to transparency concerns
If this bill works like it has in other states, we can expect to see existing private school students use most of the funds, while legislators move more and more funding from our public school funds into the voucher program. Don’t be fooled by Abbott’s “carrot” of additional public school funding for the next two years. Ask your state representative to hold the line for the sake of our public schools’ long-term funding.
Take action here: lwvtexas.org/take-action.