Originally published at National Catholic Register
The legislation would create education savings accounts (ESAs) of about $10,893 per student — calculated as roughly 85% of what public schools receive per pupil — and allow home-schooling families to collect $2,000 per child.
A $1-billion “school-choice” proposal moving through the Texas Legislature could dramatically expand private education and home schooling in the country’s second most populous state, winning praise from Catholic leaders while raising concerns among some public-school advocates.
The legislation would create education savings accounts (ESAs) of about $10,893 per student — calculated as roughly 85% of what public schools receive per pupil — and allow home-schooling families to collect $2,000 per child. Crucially, the bill does not include any income cap, prompting debate over whether higher-earning parents should also benefit from state funds.
If passed, the bill could trigger an influx of students to Catholic schools, the largest private school network in Texas. According to Helen Osman, communications consultant for the Texas Catholic Conference, there are 240 Catholic schools in the state educating approximately 62,000 students, but they have room for 25,000 more.
“This legislation would give more families access to Catholic education, allowing parents to exercise their fundamental right and responsibility to find
