The Texas Conference of Catholic Bishops supports school choice legislation, according to the group's executive director Jennifer Allmon.
“We have posted on our website our positions on several individual bills,” Allmon told Lone Star Standard. “The primary and principal educators of their children, parents must be free to determine the best educational environment for their children whether that be public, charter, private, or homeschool. Their choices should not be limited by family income or ZIP code. The bishops support parental choice programs, especially for the poor and children with special needs."
According to previous reporting by Lone Star Standard, TCCB has expressed support for universal school choice and backs Gov. Greg Abbott’s push for an education savings account (ESA) bill to be considered during the current legislative session.
“As Catholics, we believe in universal school choice, that every student in Texas should have the opportunity to learn in the environment best suited to their needs,” Allmon said in a Texas Catholic Voice release. “We are grateful for the governor’s strong message for universal choice.”
She said polling data, according to the Texan, shows “most parents favor programs where money follows the student.”
Allmon also cited EdChoice.org, which argues that school choice programs may influence how public schools choose to operate, but evidence shows that they help rather than hurt the most important part of education, the students.
According to the Dallas Morning News, a group of Republican senators proposed an education bill March 10 that would set up an ESA program, dedicating $8,000 per student.
“Giving parents the power to determine the best school for their child will encourage competition and innovation, ensuring that each Texas student has the opportunity to succeed,” state Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe) said in a statement.
If passed, the legislation will allow families to use ESAs to pay for private school tuition, books, tutoring, transportation, and other materials, such as uniforms. The funds will be overseen by the comptroller's office, and vendors will be required to apply to the state for approval, which includes being accredited for private schools.
The ESA program would take effect in the 2024-25 school year, and the proposal is likely to change as it moves through the legislative process.
The ESA proposal has already gained support from eight Republican senators, and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has made it a focus for the session, the Dallas Morning News reported; however, urban Democrats and rural Republicans oppose school choice bills, arguing it will divert funds from public schools in Texas.
The bill includes a provision that says public school districts, with fewer than 20,000 students, will receive a significant benefit from a “hold-harmless” provision, ensuring their funding is not abruptly and substantially affected when students leave.
These schools will be granted $10,000 for every student who departs for a private school, exceeding the base payment of about $6,000 per student that public schools typically receive.
Allmon told Lone Star Standard that the Catholic bishops agree with much of the language of the bill, but have some reservations.
“The TCCB supports Senate Bill 8 in general but still has concerns about using public school A-F ratings to prioritize access and urges improvement by instead prioritizing access to the ESA for individual students based on those with the greatest academic and financial needs,” she said. “We believe Senate Bill 2354/House Bill 4339 and House Bill 4340 have stronger prioritization sections and hope that Sen. Creighton will consider similar prioritization levels within SB 8.”
According to EdChoice.org, it is commonly believed that public school students, who do not choose to leave using voucher funds, will have less money and fall behind academically. Many public schools are a good fit for a lot of kids, it argues, and because some kids choose a different learning environment, it does not mean that the students who stay are left behind or trapped.
Students who stay tend to experience small gains in test scores. Of the 26 studies that have examined the competitive effects of school choice programs on public schools, 24 have found positive effects, one saw no visible effect, and one found some negative effects for some kids, EdChoice.org reported.
Allmon said this is a national trend Texas would be wise to join.
“Thirty-three states have some form of educational choice," she said. "In states with the oldest and largest educational choice policies, the inflation-adjusted per-pupil funding has increased, and the average performance of district schools is as good or better than when the choice policies were first enacted.
“No state has ever repealed a program once they are established, because they are so effective and popular," she added. "Parents know their children better, and love them more, than anyone else in the world. ESA programs reflect the belief that Texas parents ought to be empowered by the state to make decisions about their children’s education. Most students will continue to benefit from a public-school education, because the many advantages offered by public schools, such as sports and other extracurricular activities, are attractive to families.”
She said the Catholic Church has long taught that parents are the first and best educators of their children, entrusted with the right and sacred duty of forming them intellectually, morally and spiritually.
“An ESA program would make that a reality for many Texas parents who currently lack the resources to take control over their children’s future,” Allmon said. “Rural schools are not beset by the problems in large, urban districts. They are smaller, safer, and more community-centered, the very reasons urban parents choose non-public options."
She hears from parents, who are supportive of ESAs, on a regular basis.
“Every time I am at a parish or school event anywhere in the state I am asked about the chances of the bill passing," she said. "We meet parents who have a strong desire to educate their children in a smaller school where their children can receive more attention from teachers and in an environment that aligns with their values. Unfortunately, this is not possible for many families because they cannot afford tuition or they must make substantial sacrifices.”
Allmon oversees the day-to-day work of the organization and develops legislative strategy and relationships with diocesan staff and other legislative partners. Allmon has extensive experience in public policy and advocacy, having served as the advocacy director at Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and as the HIV/AIDS education coordinator.
