TYLER, Texas — For years, Texas families have been sending a message to Austin: Families deserve school choice, Gov. Greg Abbott said in his first appearance following the world-changing results of the November 5 elections. And now, he added, those families have sent him the legislators to get a bill passed.
“We now have 79 hard votes for school choice [in the Texas House],” Abbott said on the campus of a small East Texas private school. “It takes 76.”
School choice—often called “voucher” programs—was a contentious issue during the March GOP primary elections in Texas. While most governors stay out of primary races in their own parties, Abbott actively campaigned against incumbent Republican lawmakers who opposed school choice.
Some 34 states and the District of Columbia have school choice programs, with 18 of those programs funding Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), the model favored by Abbott. ESAs would go to parents, who could then choose how to spend those funds—on private or public school tuition, tutoring or private lessons, or instructional materials.
Abbott was clear that he intends for the program to be universal—meaning it’s available to all Texas K-12 students. The teacher unions and public school groups oppose any such program.
“They make it sound like we can’t have both school choice and robust public school funding,” Abbott said. “But it doesn’t have to be one or the other.”
A Second Chance
Abbott spoke at Kingdom Life Academy (KLA), a small school in Texas that focuses on students who have dropped out or are close to it. KLA debunks the claim that school choice would drain the public schools of the best and brightest students. KLA Director Joel Enge says his students are ones the public schools have already given up on.
“These are students who have fallen through the cracks” already, Abbott said.
At KLA, students are helped to get back on track academically, and life skills are taught. The students have jobs at the school, and they receive a small paycheck; teachers help them learn to make a budget and keep to it. Students graduate with a food handling certificate, allowing them immediate employment if they wish. Abbott said it is not the traditional route but sets students up for success in life.
“One size doesn’t fit all,” Abbott said.
The coalitions that formed in support of school choice last session are still working behind the scenes, according to Mandy Drogin of the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
“The election results are clear,” Drogin told The Dallas Express.
“Millions of parents across Texas rose up to demand the right to make their own education decisions for their children and families. Gov. Abbott laid it all on the line. His unwavering commitment to empowering parents has solidified his position as the most pro-parent, pro-student governor in the country,” Drogin added.
Pastors for Texas Children is one of the groups that has formed to oppose school choice in recent years. The Dallas Express reached out to the group but has not received a response.
Immigration, Trump
In his brief press conference, Abbott also fielded questions about President-elect Donald Trump’s win. He was asked whether he would support Trump’s plans for “mass deportations.”
Abbott said any deportation program would prioritize criminal illegal immigrants in the U.S. “President Trump will provide the safest border in Texas history,” Abbott said, adding that this could save Texas money it now spends securing the border, including through Operation Lone Star.
“Texas will have the opportunity to consider repurposing some of that money,” Abbott said.
The 89th Texas Legislature will convene on Tuesday, January 14, 2025.