Texas Republicans are trying to sell school choice measures, but rural conservatives aren’t buying

bnew

Veteran
Joined
Nov 1, 2015
Messages
66,078
Reputation
10,206
Daps
179,202

Any school choice policy must win over rural Republicans, who have historically been against diverting public dollars to private schools.
BY BRIAN LOPEZ AUG. 8, 202215 HOURS AGO
Cactus Elementary School in Cactus on Jan. 28, 2020.

Cactus Elementary School in Cactus on Jan. 28, 2020. Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune


As a Texas school superintendent, Adrain Johnson is no stranger to the struggles small, rural public schools face, from trying to recruit teachers, especially after more than two years of navigating school during a global pandemic, to a general lack of resources. And now, after the school shooting in Uvalde, there’s a renewed conversation about campus security.

With so many problems to solve, Johnson, who oversees the Hearne Independent School District northwest of College Station, doesn’t understand why state lawmakers’ to-do lists heading into next year’s legislative session seem to focus more on school choice over something like school safety.

“There always seems to be a school choice debate every legislative year, and I’m not afraid of that. I think that debating is good. That’s part of democracy,” Johnson said.


But he also wonders why public schools always take a back seat to the pursuit of policies that could diminish them.

“Why not make it imperative to support the local school district?” he said.

Instead, from where he stands, the talk in Austin is already focused on school choice, the broad term applied to a host of taxpayer-funded alternatives to sending a child to the local public school.

AUG. 3, 2022
Although the Texas Legislature doesn’t meet for another five months, Gov. Greg Abbott has voiced support for public school alternatives. Abbott has said he supports parents’ “choice to send their children to any public school, charter school or private school with state funding following the student.” And Democrat Beto O’Rourke, who will face off against Abbott in November, has also joined the debate, running ads asking people to “reject Greg Abbott’s radical plan to defund” public schools.


The Republican Party of Texas has listed school choice as a legislative priority, and pro-school choice groups like the Texas Private Schools Association and the Texas Public Policy Foundation will also push for school choice legislation.

But in the northeastern corner of the state, Rep. Gary VanDeaver, a Republican whose district includes 30 rural school districts, is still unconvinced. He was one of several lawmakers who helped kill school choice legislation in 2017. He said one of the concerns he’s hearing from parents is that they’re paying property taxes, which fund public schools, but have opted for either home schooling or sending their kids to private school.

“I prefer to reduce their property taxes, so they have the option of spending that money any way they choose, whether it be alternative education choices, saving for college or purchasing a new car,” VanDeaver said.

Texas has passed some school choice measures. VanDeaver points to the approval of the state’s charter school system in the 1990s and giving students in low-performing schools the ability to transfer out of a district.


“Proponents of expanding school choice options often say the money should follow the student,” VanDeaver said. “Current Texas law already does that if a student transfers to another public school, including a charter school.”

From his vantage point, VanDeaver has good reason to be concerned. In smaller Texas cities and towns, there’s far less “choice” for rural students. Outside of large metro areas, private schools are few and far between. Many rural private schools have religious affiliations. And VanDeaver has been informed that the religious private schools in his area are uninterested in public money. He also worries about the damage to the local public school district a voucher program could cause.

“This sense of community is what makes Texas great, and I would hate to see anything like a voucher program destroy this community spirit,” he said.

Conservative efforts to pass school choice measures have failed largely because there are few private schools or charter schools as alternatives outside the state’s larger urban areas. Also, the public school systems are a large economic and employment driver for most small towns.


In Texas, schools are funded based on the number of students enrolled and the daily attendance on campus. Schools receive a base allotment of $6,160 per student each year. Texas is also home to more rural students than any other state, and its schools are funded through property taxes.

Proponents say more school choice options help lower-income families afford better education. Opponents believe school choice policies weaken the public education system because they can result in public school dollars going to private schools, which are largely unregulated and therefore unaccountable.

In addition to vouchers, lawmakers could consider education savings accounts, or ESAs, where the state places taxpayer dollars into accounts for families to be used for educational expenses such as private school tuition. But the funds can be also used for tutoring, online classes and even higher education expenses.

Then there are tax credit scholarships, which allow individuals or businesses to receive full or partial tax credits when they donate to scholarship funds that are then awarded to families to enroll in private schools.


Laura Colangelo, executive director of the Texas Private Schools Association, said either a tax credit or an ESA option would work well for Texas. Her organization is against a voucher policy.

“We’re about 20 years behind, and so I do think there are a lot of things that we could do to improve options — education options — for parents and kids in Texas,” Colangelo said.

But the struggle, again, will be convincing rural lawmakers that school choice is the way to go.

State Rep. Drew Darby of San Angelo told The Texas Tribune last week that he would oppose anything that would take away resources from Texas’ public schools.


Bill Tarleton, executive director of the Texas Rural Education Association, worries that private schools won’t allow for the same transparency and accountability because they don’t have elected school boards. He also questions whether any school choice legislation would really benefit all students because private schools can pick and choose whom they accept.

“Public schools are the only ones that have to educate all students,” Tarleton said.

VanDeaver said he’s not one to shut the door on any policy and looks forward to the debate next session. He wants to see a better accountability system created for private schools receiving the money.

“As conservatives, we expect it from our public schools,” he said. “We need to know that we’re getting bang for our buck for every educational dollar, wherever it’s spent.”
 
Joined
Feb 7, 2015
Messages
15,508
Reputation
2,181
Daps
58,284
What about people who understand the importance of both?

Wtf does this question even mean lmao

I swear some of y’all annoy the fukk outta me and just say this nonsensical shyt knowing it’s going to annoy me.

Please don’t even bother responding. If your opinion is anything other than “private schools shouldn’t ever be funded with public dollars” then I just 100% don’t give a shyt about what you think.
 

At30wecashout

Veteran
Supporter
Joined
Sep 2, 2014
Messages
37,505
Reputation
19,070
Daps
173,547
What about people who understand the importance of both?
:what:Man get outta here with that. If they want the private schools, keep them shyts privately funded. PUBLIC institutions, a part of the commons, is far more important especially in a society that is already tiered in access in all other aspects. Most of those private schools only have the distinction of being able to push religion or exclude for any old reason. They are not half as important as fully funded and well-managed public schools. That goes for K-12 and college. It is in the public interest that there is a competent public option. Private schools are not inherently a public need.
 
Last edited:

Sir Richard Spirit

Superstar
Joined
May 24, 2022
Messages
6,474
Reputation
1,035
Daps
20,731
:what:Man get outta here with that. If they want the private schools, keep them shyts privately funded. PUBLIC institutions, a part of the commons, is far more important especially in a society that is already tiered in access in all other aspects. Most of those private schools only have the distinction of being able to push religion or exclude for any old reason. They are not half as important as fully funded and well-managed private schools. That goes for K-12 and college. It is in the public interest that there is a competent public option. Private schools are not inherently a public need.



So there should be no alternative to a shytty school district?
 

At30wecashout

Veteran
Supporter
Joined
Sep 2, 2014
Messages
37,505
Reputation
19,070
Daps
173,547
So there should be no alternative to a shytty school district?
You didn't read what I said. Fully fund the school districts, pay teachers more, and stop meddling in education to add or take away from core things the children should learn. Private schools should be privately funded. If they can't make it, tough shyt.
 

Sir Richard Spirit

Superstar
Joined
May 24, 2022
Messages
6,474
Reputation
1,035
Daps
20,731
You didn't read what I said. Fully fund the school districts, pay teachers more, and stop meddling in education to add or take away from core things the children should learn. Private schools should be privately funded. If they can't make it, tough shyt.


This is just a way to keep arguing..the government will never fully fund school districts and pay teachers more. They will never stop taking or adding away. This will never happen and you know this.



So why not get 100 more Lebron schools funded by tax payers?


Or maybe you can come up with a school idea? Then the government can fund 100 of your schools.
 

HARLEM AL

Your broad loves me.....
Joined
May 19, 2012
Messages
23,788
Reputation
4,480
Daps
95,566
Reppin
Harlem, NYC
You didn't read what I said. Fully fund the school districts, pay teachers more, and stop meddling in education to add or take away from core things the children should learn. Private schools should be privately funded. If they can't make it, tough shyt.
None of that shyt you just suggested I’d ever happening. Even with more money…
 

bnew

Veteran
Joined
Nov 1, 2015
Messages
66,078
Reputation
10,206
Daps
179,202
This is just a way to keep arguing..the government will never fully fund school districts and pay teachers more. They will never stop taking or adding away. This will never happen and you know this.



So why not get 100 more Lebron schools funded by tax payers?


Or maybe you can come up with a school idea? Then the government can fund 100 of your schools.


it's a public school!

public schools accommodate everyone, private schools don't.
 
Top