Texas House Pushes Controversial $10 Billion School Voucher Bill
House Approves Senate Bill 2, Threatening Public School Funding
The Texas House just approved Senate Bill 2, a massive $10 billion voucher bill that could take critical funds away from the public schools serving 5.5 million Texas children.
Under SB 2, public money would go toward private school tuition for a small number of families. But private schools aren’t held to the same standards as public schools — they can pick and choose who they accept and aren’t required to provide transparency or public accountability. That means they can legally reject students based on disability, religion, sexual orientation, or because they don’t believe the student is a “good fit.”
This bill follows what many call the “Texas three-step”: defunding, demonizing, and privatizing public education. And while supporters of SB 2 argue it’s about “parent choice,” critics say it’s just another way to weaken the system that educates most Texas kids.
“Texas needs to strengthen our public schools, not weaken them,” said IDRA in a statement. “We will never stop demanding investments that strengthen public schools for all students.”
GOP Blocks Voter Referendum on Vouchers
In an even more alarming move, Republican lawmakers blocked an amendment that would have let Texas voters decide whether to approve the voucher plan. Instead of letting the people weigh in, House Republicans sided with Governor Greg Abbott, Donald Trump, and billionaire donors pushing for the bill.
The refusal to allow a public vote didn’t sit well with Democratic leaders.
“Republicans know Texans would reject this scam in a heartbeat,” said Dr. Alma Allen, Co-Chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus Special Committee on Education. “After 40 years as an educator and years in this House, I’ve never seen such blatant disrespect for both our schools and our democracy.”
Representative James Talarico added:
Greg Abbott claims Texans overwhelmingly support his private school voucher scam. If that were true, the governor should have no problem supporting this referendum… Instead, Abbott threatened members of the Texas House… and went scorched earth to prevent Texans from voting on this issue.
Who Wins — and Who Loses
Without a chance for public input, many Texas families will now watch as public schools face the fallout. If SB 2 becomes law, already underfunded schools may be forced to cut programs, lay off teachers, or increase property taxes to stay afloat.
“This voucher scam will strip millions from underfunded and closing classrooms across the state,” critics say, warning of real consequences for everyday Texans.
Rep. Gene Wu didn’t hold back:
“Today, Texas House Republicans chose to bow to a call from Donald Trump rather than the call of Texans for a public vote… They know that their $10,000 voucher wouldn’t even cover half the cost of many private schools, yet they’re willing to gut public education to appease their billionaire donors.”
What’s Next
Senate Bill 2 isn’t law yet. The bill is now headed to a conference committee where members from both the House and Senate will work out the final version.
Stay tuned — and stay active. Once committee members are announced, voters will have a chance to contact them directly.
For now, advocates for public education are urging Texans to keep speaking up. The future of public schooling in Texas — and who gets to shape it — is still on the line.
