Brad Buckley, a Republican from Central Texas, is back as the chair of the House Public Education Committee. This comes as the Texas Legislature looks into a school voucher program. This program would let families use public funds for private school tuition and homeschooling.
House Speaker Dustin Burrows shared the committee appointments for the legislative session recently. Buckley, who represents half of Bell County, previously held this chair position in 2023. He supported Burrows during the tough speaker race. Alongside him, state Rep. Diego Bernal, a Democrat from San Antonio, will serve as vice chair.
In a statement, Burrows emphasized that assigning committee members is a significant responsibility that requires careful thought. Buckley had worked hard last session to push a school voucher bill through the House, but it faced strong opposition and ultimately failed. A mix of rural Republicans and Democrats blocked it repeatedly.
Looking ahead, Buckley believes this session might see the voucher legislation succeed. This initiative is one of Governor Greg Abbott’s top priorities. Buckley, who has personal ties to Killeen ISD, also supports boosting funding for public schools. KUT has attempted to contact him for more insights into his new committee role but is still awaiting a response.
Burrows expressed confidence that the House has the votes needed to create a universal school choice program this session. He stated that the House aims to make meaningful investments in public education and support for teacher salaries. The proposed budget includes $4.85 billion in new funds for education, along with $1 billion for educational savings accounts and $400 million for improving school safety.
Meanwhile, the Senate quickly moved to pass its version of a school voucher bill last week, continuing a trend from previous sessions. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick noted that this is the sixth attempt by the Senate to advance school choice, with past bills failing in the House. He insists the Senate will keep pushing this initiative until it passes.
Senate Bill 2, which recently passed, allocates $1 billion for education savings accounts. These accounts would give families $10,000 per student to help with private school costs. Additionally, students with disabilities would receive an extra $1,500. However, projections suggest that by 2030, this voucher program could cost Texas over $3.7 billion.
While Buckley supports the voucher program, some members of the House Public Education Committee do not. Burrows reappointed two Democrats from the Austin area: Gina Hinojosa, a former Austin ISD school board president, and James Talarico, a former teacher. Talarico criticized the proposed voucher system, stating that it would worsen the current funding challenges faced by public schools in Texas.
With school vouchers as a key focus, the committee will also tackle teacher pay, another emergency priority set by Abbott. Public education advocates are also calling for an increase in the basic funding level per student, which has not been updated since 2019.