Texas Senate Democrats are sharply criticizing the state's new school choice push, saying it allows "discriminatory" practices that shut out many students with disabilities and low-income families while draining money from already struggling public schools.
During recent Senate Education Committee hearings on the main voucher proposal, Senate Bill 2, Democratic lawmakers said the plan is written in a way that appears to favor wealthier families and private schools, even though supporters claim it prioritizes vulnerable students.
"Discriminatory" School Choice Practices
Under SB 2, families are considered "low income" if they earn up to 500% of the federal poverty level, which is much higher than the usual benchmark used for federal programs, and Democrats argue that this definition is so broad that it dilutes help for the poorest students, according to CBS Austin.
They also warn that the bill does not require private schools to accept all students, allowing them to turn away children with disabilities, behavioral challenges, or lower test scores while still receiving taxpayer-funded tuition money from the program.
Sen. José Menéndez of San Antonio said the measure "doesn't really have a priority" for the neediest families because of its high income ceiling and raised alarms that parents of children with disabilities may have to give up important federal protections when they leave public schools.
Public schools must follow the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which guarantees evaluations and services, but private schools in the voucher plan are not bound by the same legal requirements, meaning students could lose those rights once they accept state money to attend a private campus.
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Raising Various Concerns
Disability advocates have echoed those concerns, noting that many private schools can and do reject applicants based on disability, religion, or academic performance, despite receiving public funds through vouchers.
Democrats also argue that the new law will widen gaps for low-income communities, especially Black and Latino neighborhoods that rely heavily on local public schools, KETR reported.
Critics say that when students leave for private schools with state-funded accounts, their per-pupil dollars follow them, leaving districts with fewer resources to serve the majority of children who remain in public classrooms.
Educators fear that special education services could be weakened as districts face more evaluation requests, higher costs, and less stable funding, while private schools are allowed to pick and choose which students they enroll.
Outside the Capitol, the Texas Democratic Party has branded the voucher effort a "scam" that will hurt students with disabilities and at-risk youth the most, because private schools can reject them or offer fewer supports than public systems are required to provide.
Party leaders are now weighing possible legal action to block the education savings account law from taking effect, saying the state is violating its duty to provide an equitable public education system for all children, not just those who can navigate or afford private school admissions, as per CBS News.
