Brad Buckley, a Republican from Central Texas, will lead the House Public Education Committee again this session. The main focus will be the ongoing debate about school vouchers. This plan could let families use taxpayer money for private schools and homeschooling.
House Speaker Dustin Burrows shared the committee assignments for the 89th legislative session. Buckley is one of 30 Republican chairs. He supported Burrows during the competitive speaker race, alongside state Rep. Diego Bernal, a Democrat from San Antonio, who will serve as vice chair.
“Assigning committee members is a major responsibility for the Speaker,” Burrows said. “It requires careful thought and balance.”
Buckley represents part of Bell County and previously chaired this committee during the last session. In 2023, he worked hard to get a school voucher bill passed in the House, but a group of rural Republicans and Democrats blocked it.
According to KERA, Buckley is optimistic about getting the school voucher law approved this time. He believes it is crucial for the session as Governor Greg Abbott has made it a priority. Having attended Killeen ISD schools, Buckley also supports more funding for public education. KUT has reached out to him for his thoughts on the committee appointment, but there has been no response yet.
Speaker Burrows mentioned that he thinks the House has the votes needed to create a “universal school choice program.” He expressed a commitment to invest in public education and raise teacher salaries. The House budget includes $4.85 billion for public education, $1 billion for educational savings accounts, and $400 million for school safety improvements.
Recently, the Senate swiftly approved its version of a school voucher bill, known as Senate Bill 2, a move they have made in past sessions.
“This is the sixth time the Texas Senate has passed school choice,” said Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. “Each time, the bill has failed in the House. We will keep pushing this until it passes because Texas students deserve better than a one-size-fits-all approach.”
Senate Bill 2 includes $1 billion to create education savings accounts (ESAs), giving families up to $10,000 for private school tuition. Additionally, students with disabilities would receive an extra $1,500. The bill’s financial estimates suggest that this program could cost over $3.7 billion by 2030.
While Buckley supports school vouchers, some members of the House Public Education Committee strongly oppose them. Two Democrats from the Austin area were reappointed: state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, a former school board president, and state Rep. James Talarico, a former teacher.
Talarico criticized Abbott’s plans, stating they could worsen the current funding crisis for public schools. “Abbott and his wealthy backers are trying to defund our public schools with this voucher scheme. We need to focus on the 5.5 million public school students in Texas,” he said.
This session, the House Public Education Committee will prioritize school vouchers, but Abbott also highlighted the urgent need for teacher pay raises. Advocates for public education continue to seek an increase in the funding level for each student, called the basic allotment, which last increased in 2019 from $5,140 to $6,160.
