Superintendent Susan Kincannon warned us a few months ago that Waco ISD is facing a $10 million budget shortfall that will likely result in salary cuts and forced layoffs in our local public schools. This is shocking when you consider that the State of Texas is sitting on billions of dollars in surplus funds that Governor Abbot is holding hostage as he tries to use our public dollars to give $10,000 per child of our tax dollars to children attending Texas public schools.
The Texas Constitution requires that the Texas Legislature “make a suitable provision for the support and maintenance of a system of Public Free Schools.” Governor Abbot is violating the Texas Constitution as he lets our public schools starve. Polls have shown that the vast majority of Texans do not favor vouchers, but Governor Abbot refuses to listen to Texas parents and citizens.
Governor Abbot claims that his voucher scam will not financially hurt Texas public schools. However, representatives from Abbotts’ own Texas Education Agency are privately admitting that the Governor is wrong.
A thorough analysis by Public Funds Public Schools reveals alarming trends: while voucher spending skyrockets, per-pupil funding for public schools in states with extensive voucher programs has declined or remained stagnant. These cuts come at the expense of our children's education, as public schools struggle to meet the needs of their students.
Governor Abbot wants to give $10,000 of your tax dollars to children attending private schools. However, Texas is only funding $6,600 of tax dollars to children attending public schools. These numbers are really disturbing.
Moreover, the promise of vouchers improving student achievement is debunked by research showing that voucher students often perform worse academically, particularly in math. These voucher schools would receive billions of our tax dollars, but would not be required to be transparent and tell us how they are spending our tax dollars. We can't afford to gamble with our children's futures by diverting public funds to unaccountable private schools.
I am firmly against vouchers because I understand that public dollars should stay in public schools, which educate 95% of Texas children. We must prioritize investing in our public education system to ensure every child has access to quality education.
If you have a family member who is attending a public school, works at a public school or was educated at a public school, let’s stop this voucher scam and vote for Erin Shank for Texas House on November 5th. The education of 95% of our children depends on your vote!
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