Texas legislators have approved a two-year budget of $337 billion, including $1 billion in Education Savings Accounts (ESA).
If passed by separate laws, the school’s choice program is the largest at the largest launch in the nation, offering a $10,000 scholarship to approximately 100,000 students in the first year.
The Texas House has largely approved the budget bill, SB 1, with some Democrats joining Republicans and handing over 118-26. The Senate unanimously approved last month. That is, the two chambers of commerce will convene a committee to resolve the billion-dollar differences between their versions.
House approval marks a significant advancement for school selection in the lonely Seongshu, as Democrats did not propose an amendment to stop it or strip it from the budget bill.
The House can make history next week by passing SB 2, the Senate school choice measure. The Republican-led Senate passed a school selection bill that previously failed in the House. This year, Governor Greg Abbott, Dan Patrick, and House Speaker Dustin Burrows say school choices will pass.
National politicians, including President Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, have urged the bill to pass, and it has become heavy.
The home is also expected to consider HB 2, a measure to increase public school funding.
Abbott, a Republican and a powerful advocate for school choice, was posted again this week on X. “You can have both a choice of school and a successful public school.”
