AUSTIN, Texas — Despite the Texas House voting to prohibit the use of state funding for Education Savings Accounts (ESA) last week, the House Committee on Public Education is considering a bill to still make it happen.
As of 2 p.m. on Tuesday, the committee had more than 200 people registered to testify in favor or against House Bill 4340, authored by State Rep. James Frank.
HB 4340 calls to use state dollars to subsidize educational costs for certain students and families wanting public education alternatives, specifically private schooling. The bill would create an ESA and separate who qualifies into four tiers.
The first priority group are students who qualify for price-reduced meals. Frank said this would mean families of four who make up to $55,500. The second priority tier would be families who make double that income.
The third group includes special needs students who do not qualify in the first two priority tiers.
The fourth is for all other students. This last tier would only receive half of the total voucher value. HB 4340 allocates $10,300 per ESA, funded by taxpayer dollars.
Currently, the State of Texas pays school districts $6,130 per student, based on daily average school attendance. This amount is already $4,000 less than the national average.
HB 4340 faces opposition in the House. On Friday, the House voted 86-52 to block public funding going toward ESA and other programs like it. This leaves more than 70 members needed to support school vouchers to successfully pass HB 4340 on the House floor.
Last week, the Texas Senate passed State Sen. Brandon Creighton's Senate Bill 8, which also calls for the implementation of school vouchers. SB 8 does not include the tiers included in HB 4340. The Senate bill also allocates $8,000 per ESA.
While the Senate’s bill would not include students currently in private school, Frank’s bill would allow those students to qualify for half of the money provided in an ESA.