Texas State Republican Party 2024 Platform: EDUCATION, Parents’ Rights, planks 84 to 90, inclusive. Plank 84: School Choice: We support further empowering all Texas families to choose from public, private, charter, or homeschool options for their children’s education and funding which shall follow the student with no strings attached. We oppose regulations on homeschooling or the curriculum of private or religious schools and believe a constitutional amendment should be adopted accordingly. In lieu of funding, citizens may use property tax exemptions.
Texas Education Code, Title 2, PUBLIC EDUCATION MISSION AND OBJECTIVES.
The mission of the public education system of this state is to ensure that all Texas children have access to a quality education that enables them to achieve their potential and fully participate now and in the future in the social, economic, and educational opportunities of our state and nation. That mission is grounded on the conviction that a general diffusion of knowledge is essential for the welfare of this state and for the preservation of the liberties and rights of citizens. It is further grounded on the conviction that a successful public education system is directly related to a strong, dedicated, and supportive family and that parental involvement in the school is essential for the maximum educational achievement of a child.
Public School Districts, like the 254 County Governments, are departments of State Government.
Funding for these districts comes from two sources: State direct funding, on the basis of average daily attendance, calculated over a six-week period and Property taxes from within the boundaries of district lines are the other state funding source.
When a family moves from Dallas to Rockwall, the state funding, based on average daily attendance, follows the child.
Of the 50 states, Texas public schools rank 38th in overall quality, student safety, and academic success and, sadly, 46th in student academic success.
Texas’s largest public school districts are prevented from dispensing transgender medications, but they incentivize teachers to promote the LGBTQ lifestyle. Parents who do not want their children indoctrinated are stuck with the district if they cannot afford to move to a better school district.
Under School Choice, the direct state funding would follow the child, just as it does when changing school districts. Parents will also be able to send their innercity children to neighboring public schools or to private schools with the money following the child.
This is Texas. Can we not do a whole lot better than 46th place in academic success?
School Choice In The News
The Phelanites will again oppose School Choice. Headline, Texas Scorecard, July 26, 2024, Dan Patrick Says Dade Phelan Intends to Kill School Choice Legislation Again
The Dallas Express, July 29, 2024, Strong Majority of Texans Back School Choice in New Poll “The poll found that 65% of Texans backed proposals to establish school choice programs, which would allow parents to use taxpayer money to defray the costs of homeschooling or private school.” “Black Texans expressed the strongest support for school choice initiatives in the poll.”
John N. White 