As promised, Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 2 when it crossed his desk on Saturday, May 3 at 2 p.m. The signing was held outside at the governor’s mansion in the presence of media, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, House Speaker Dustin Burrows, the bill’s author Sen. Brandon Creighton and hundreds of supportive parents, students and school choice advocates.
Patrick said, “I consider the enactment of school choice one of the hallmark policy victories of my career. With Senate Bill 2 signed into law, Texas parents will now be able to choose the best educational environment for their children.”
Commonly known as the school voucher or school choice bill, SB2 has stirred a lot of controversy. Proponents of the bill call SB2 “historic.”
Rep. Brad Buckley (R-Salado) said, “Senate Bill 2 paves the way for every Texas kid to thrive in the educational environment that will serve them best. Parents should have every tool in the toolbox to make decisions for their child’s education, and Senate Bill 2 gives them that.”
SB2 will provide an Education Savings Account program, which will allow parents to use taxpayer dollars to fund their children’s education-related expenses, including private school tuition. While detractors of the bill claim money will be diverted from public education and will only benefit the wealthy, SB2 is said to prioritize low-income families and families with special needs children.
In what was dubbed as the “Texas Two Step,” SB2 and House Bill 2 were both approved in the late evening and early morning hours on the House floor Wednesday, April 16 and Thursday, April 17. An overwhelming House majority of 144-4 approved both bills.
On April 17, House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) said, “The Texas House today proudly passed our ‘Texas Two Step’ plan to transform education by expanding educational options and investing historic new funding into classrooms across our state.”
However, only the SB2 was signed by Gov. Abbott on Saturday. HB2 has yet to pass the Senate.
Stephen Brosch, Granger Independent School District superintendent, said, “There is some slight disappointment amongst fellow colleagues as SB2 has passed and I feel has, and will, face major compliance and equitable measures for Texas education moving forward.”
Area school districts are more concerned about the passing of HB2, which increases teacher salaries and basic allotment. Texas is one of six states where public schools receive funding based on attendance. This funding is also known as basic allotment, which with the passing of HB2, would not only see a significant increase, but it would also be adjusted every two years to keep up with inflation.
Earl Parcell, superintendent of Coupland ISD, said Texas schools haven’t received a basic allotment increase since 2019.
While area school districts have been cautiously optimistic about HB2, unsubstantiated reports are suggesting the bill will not be passed. During the Taylor ISD board meeting on Monday, April 28, school board president Marco Ortiz noted that he had heard the same story. While admitting it was rumor and hearsay, Ortiz said, “It’s just going to give Gov. Abbott one last ‘hey, my voucher bill passed but your funding bill didn’t.’” Taylor ISD chief financial officer Jina Self confirmed she had also heard that HB2 might not be passed. She added, “We don’t know what (legislature) will do. I have spoken to some (other school) districts, and they have put on hold any compensation announcements until something definitive is announced.”
