Texas Rep. Brian Harrison (R-Waxahachie) is carrying Sen. Mayes Middleton's (R-Galveston) education freedom bill in the Texas House.
House Bill 4807 would establish a "Parental Empowerment Program" that grants education savings accounts (ESAs) for parents to have more educational options for their children. Harrison emphasized the need for Texas to join many other states -- including Florida, Arkansas, Utah and Iowa -- in the school choice movement.
"All students deserve a quality education, so we must empower every Texas parent with education freedom," Harrison told Lone Star Standard. "I am proud to carry HB 4807, Sen. Mayes Middleton's Texas Parental Empowerment Act of 2023, in the Texas House. Thirty other states have already passed school choice, and Texas must make up for being late by being bold. The next generation is on the line."
HB 4807, the Texas Parental Empowerment Program of 2023, would allow for an insurance premium tax credit for contributions made to the program. HB 4807 is the House version of Senate Bill 176, filed by Middleton.
Middleton spoke about his support for school choice in the Lone Star Standard. "Education choice is simple. It’s about trusting every parent and having money follow their child, so each parent gets to decide which educational options work best for their child’s unique needs."
Lone Star Standard also reported that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has been supportive of parental empowerment and ESAs as he tours the state visiting schools. At an event in Corpus Christi, Abbott said, "Parents should not be helpless; they should be able to choose the education option that is best for their child. The way to do that is with ESAs: education savings accounts. We’ve seen them work in other states, and we’ve seen them work in the state of Texas also. No one knows what is better for their child’s education than parents; they must have the freedom to choose what is best for their child.”
Recently, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis reinforced a universal school choice bill that allows for all Florida families to utilize the funds for educational purposes.
"This legislation takes education freedom to the next level and centers Florida as the nation’s leader in education choice," DeSantis said, according to the Austin Journal. The legislation eliminates financial restrictions for families who wished to apply for the $8,000 grant per student.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders, also, recently signed school choice legislation "to educate, not indoctrinate, empower parents, not government, prepare students for high-paying jobs," according to the Austin Journal. Arkansas' program is set to start the 2025-2026 school year, with families able to apply for $7,413 grants.
ESAs and similar programs are growing in popularity in the U.S., according to EdWeek. These accounts give families access to public per-pupil funds, which can be used to pay for tuition to private schools, homeschooling supplies, curriculum materials and educational therapy services.
The accounts began in Arizona in 2011 and were originally limited to students with disabilities, low-income students and those attending failing schools. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, they have grown in popularity, with more states opting for universal programs, allowing any student to use them. As of March 2023, 11 states had ESA programs or expansions to previous ESA policies.
