Does Texas need school ‘choice?’
Tax credit plan boosts options for students with unique needs
The introduction of school choice in Texas, by means of a tax-credit scholarship program, will give opportunities to families in need across the state to access the best education for their children. It’s little wonder, then, that school choice is one of the mostdiscussed policy topics this legislative session.
Private schools in Texas are ready and willing to participate in such a program. Here’s how it would work: As proposed in Senate Bill 542 and House Bill 1184, tax-credit scholarships would provide money to parents who move their children from traditional public schools and enroll them in private schools. The legislation also calls for businesses that contribute to the program to receive tax credits, as well.
A recent survey conducted by EdChoice, in partnership with the Texas Private Schools Association and the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops, found that most accredited private schools in Texas are eager to serve more students. Of the 840 private, accredited, nonprofit schools in Texas, 333 schools participated in this survey. There are an estimated 30,000 open and available seats within these particular schools. The projected estimate for Texas’s total accredited private school sector is 127,000 open seats for K–12 students.
Legislative proposals for school choice would provide Texas families who qualify for a tax-credit scholarship of approximately $7,300 to help cover the cost of tuition at an accredited private school. The survey found that half of private schools for which combined tuition and fee data are available charge less than $6,000 for elementary, $6,500 or less for middle school and $8,800 or less for high school.
The funds from a tax-credit scholarship program could significantly assist Texas families with offsetting the cost of private school tuition or cover the cost completely. Millions of scholarship dollars are provided annually to private school families by schools and philanthropic organizations. These scholarship dollars will go farther — and to more families — when combined with a school choice program.
For many students, school choice is the opportunity they need to succeed in the classroom. Families that qualify for this proposed program must have children in public school and have demonstrated financial and academic need. Students could also be a foster child, a military dependent or have special needs that are not adequately being met by their local public school. Under the tax-credit scholarship program now being considered, families who opt to stay in the local public school can qualify for assistance with tutoring or transportation to optimize their academic opportunities.
Tax-credit scholarships are about improving education for everyone. Studies have shown that in states with this particular school choice program, such as Florida, public schools have improved as children are allowed to access an educational setting that fits their unique circumstances.
Private schools come in all shapes and sizes, from rural schools that serve fewer than a hundred students to large independent schools located in major metropolitan areas. Some of the available spaces in these schools might be the perfect solution for students and families who need an alternative. Let’s allow that choice to families in Texas looking for more educational opportunity.
Allmon is executive director of the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops, which represents 256 Catholic Schools and 76,000 students in Texas. Colangelo is the executive director of Texas Private Schools.