Tuesday was the first day Texas lawmakers could file proposals to change Texas law. Hundreds of bills were filed by state lawmakers ahead of the January legislative session. The largest proposed change may be an education overhaul which could impact every school district in the state.
Gov. Greg Abbott has campaigned against Republicans and Democrats alike to get school choice vouchers over the finish line. The Texas House rejected the proposal to allow families to use public school dollars on private and home schools last year. He then campaigned against his opponents and says now has 79 votes for the measures, enough to pass the 150-member Texas House.
The bill filing session begins the back-and-forth wrangling over the size and scope of proposals, including the bill to pass school choice vouchers. Abbott
Last year, Abbott's proposal included billions more in public school funding along with a school choice program. His allies in the legislature will soon outline the specifics of their proposals. Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, the leader of the Texas Senate which has consistently passed "school choice" bills over to the Texas House, has asked the governor to declare it an emergency item.
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“I think the state and our lawmakers are going to be very pragmatic about how do we fund public schools. We need to have all boats rise," said Genevieve Collins, the Texas Director for Americans for Prosperity. Her group was active in campaigns against Republicans in the primaries and pushing out anti-voucher Republicans.
Collins tells NBC 5 her group is pushing for a program that will grow slowly, step by step, but with poor kids, students in "failing schools," and students with special needs prioritized.
“There’s a way that everyone can win but both sides are going to have to give and take a little bit in order to prepare children. Not necessarily saving systems," said Collins.
Lone Star Politics
Covering politics throughout the state of Texas.
This debate comes at a time when some North Texas public schools are going through a budget crunch.
“Just like you all in your homes. All of your home costs and going up and so are ours," Celina ISD Superintendent Tom Maglisceau told NBC 5.
On election day, six school districts in North Texas asked voters to increase local taxes to keep current budgets. Only voters in Celina and Grapevine Colleyville passed the measures. Voters in Frisco, Northwest ISD, Coppell, and Argyle rejected the tax increase, and will cause the districts to make some hard decisions in the days ahead.
“It could include another school being closed or program consolidations. That most likely includes some staffing adjustments," Coppell ISD Superintendent Brad Hunt told NBC 5.
"There are funding cuts that are happening right now. There are schools that have closed around the state due to a lack of funding," said Monty Exter from the Association of Texas Professional Educators.
Exter tells NBC 5 the best case for their teacher group in the days ahead is the legislature passing a school funding bill even if the House, Senate and the Governor cannot agree on the details of the school choice voucher provision. Their worst-case scenario is if lawmakers pass their school choice measure without a big chunk of public school money.
"That's worst case scenario," said Exter. “If they feel like they can move whatever voucher bill they want to move forward and they don’t have to spend any state dollars on enhanced public school funding.”
Lawmakers arrive in Austin to begin their legislative session in the middle of January.
