Texas House ties ESAs to teacher pay

The Texas House introduced its version of a school voucher program last week - a plan that includes small boosts in teacher pay and school funding. House Bill 1 also caps participation and state funding for the voucher program at about half the 60,000 students and $8,000 per student set by the Senate version passed earlier this month during a special session called by Gov. Greg Abbott The proposal by Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Killeen, would give parents 75 percent of the average amount that each school receives per student in state and local funding to use for private school tuition or other approved expenses. The bill would limit the number of students eligible to participate in the voucher program to 25,000 in the first year, giving priority to low-income and disabled students.

That number would increase by 25,000 students each year until 2027, when the cap would be removed. The bill also would allow parents who homeschool their children to receive $1,000 per year per student.

The House bill would also raise the state’s basic allotment, or per student payment from the state, from $6,160 to $6,190 in the first year, and to $6,500 in the second year. Olney Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Greg Roach has said the basic allotment should rise to at least $7,200 to keep pace with inflation.

Teachers also would receive a one-time $4,000 bonus, far below the pay levels that Dr. Roach has advocated to attract and retain teachers to OISD.

HB 1 also would expand the Teacher Incentive Allotment, a program that promises to pay teachers up to six-figure salaries if they meet certain performance requirements. About 13,000 teachers, or about 4% of the state’s educators, are currently part of the program.

Kim Cuba, a 28-year OISD teacher, said the voucher programs proposed by lawmakers lack accountability for private schools and homeschoolers. “Our state funding comes from how we do as a school district on the STAAR test,” she said. “If that money goes to a private school, they are not held accountable. That’s my biggest concern with vouchers is they don’t have to take the STAAR. They don’t have to follow our rules. Why is state money going to go to somebody who doesn’t follow our rules?”

“I’ve seen parents pull their kids out of school to homeschool them because they got mad at teachers and they don’t really homeschool them, and they bring them back to school a year or two later,” she said.

Sen. Drew Springer, a Republican who represents Olney, voted for the Senate voucher plan.

“I’m fighting to make sure our schools are properly funded, our teachers get a raise, and parents have their God-given right to choose what is best for their children,” Sen. Springer said in a statement.