Texas Democrats Target Abbott’s School Voucher Program
Texas’ $1 billion school voucher program faces a possible overhaul after Democrats won the governor’s race and retook the state House, while Republicans kept control of the Senate. The program, launched this year, allows about 110,000 students to use public funds for private education, out of more than 5 million Texas schoolchildren.
Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa has pledged to undo parts of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s education agenda, including ending vouchers. She has also said she would remove Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath and halt public school takeovers. Hinojosa has not laid out how she would end the voucher program: major changes would require action by lawmakers.
Democratic state Rep. Diego Bernal, vice chair of the House education committee, expects the program to change substantially or potentially disappear. Sarah Eckhardt, a Democrat who will oversee the program as head of the state office responsible for its administration, has called for stronger accountability and transparency, while acknowledging that a major rewrite is beyond her office’s authority.
The election also brought losses for Republican candidates Abbott had backed in his push for vouchers. At least 13 such Republicans lost or were trailing in close races. Democrats made gains in rural and semirural areas, where concerns about vouchers and data centers were among the issues. An analysis of rural counties found Abbott’s margin over Hinojosa was 16 percentage points lower than his 2022 margin over Beto O’Rourke; in exurban counties, the drop was 20 points.
Opponents of vouchers have argued that public schools are central to rural communities and that the program could divert money from struggling public schools. With the House now under Democratic control but the Senate still Republican, the program’s future will depend in part on whether lawmakers can agree on changes.
Texas Voters Rejected Abbott’s Voucher Push; Democrats Can Rein It In
Texas voters have given Democrats new leverage to challenge Gov. Greg Abbott’s $1 billion school voucher program, which began this year and lets about 110,000 students use public funds for private education. Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa has promised to reverse Abbott’s education agenda and end vouchers.
The election shifted control of the House to Democrats for the first time in 24 years, though Republicans retained the Senate. That divide means the program cannot simply be erased by the governor: major changes require legislative action. Sarah Eckhardt, the Democrat set to lead the state office administering the program, says she will press for greater transparency and accountability, but has acknowledged the limits of her authority.
The stakes extend beyond the voucher program. Abbott also backed public school takeovers and a social studies curriculum requiring Bible stories and placing more emphasis on Texas and U.S. history than world history. Hinojosa has pledged to remove Education Commissioner Mike Morath and end the takeovers.
Republican voucher supporters also suffered setbacks at the ballot box. At least 13 Republicans Abbott had supported lost or were trailing in close races, while Democrats made gains in rural and semirural areas. Rural voters have raised concerns about vouchers and the future of community schools. In rural counties, Abbott’s margin over Hinojosa was 16 percentage points below his 2022 margin over Beto O’Rourke; in exurban counties, it was down 20 points.
The Senate’s Republican majority remains a barrier to a full reversal. But with Democrats controlling the House, the program that Abbott championed now faces a serious test—and public schools have a chance to gain protection from further diversion of resources.
Democrats Threaten Texas School Choice After Winning House
Texas Democrats are moving to weaken a school choice program that gives families public funds for private education. Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa has pledged to end the vouchers launched this year under Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, and Democratic state Rep. Diego Bernal says the program could be radically altered or eliminated.
The program serves about 110,000 students, out of more than 5 million Texas schoolchildren. Democrats now control the state House, but Republicans retained the Senate, and ending the program outright would require lawmakers to act. Sarah Eckhardt, a Democrat who will oversee the program, has discussed stronger accountability and transparency, while recognizing that her office cannot carry out a major overhaul by itself.
Hinojosa has also promised to fire Education Commissioner Mike Morath and stop public school takeovers. Those pledges put Abbott’s broader education agenda at risk, including his support for a social studies curriculum that requires Bible stories and emphasizes Texas and U.S. history over world history.
Republicans who backed vouchers faced losses in the election: at least 13 candidates Abbott had supported lost or were trailing in close contests. Democrats also gained ground in rural and semirural areas, where voucher concerns were among the issues. But the election results do not erase the Senate’s Republican majority or the fact that the program was created through legislation.
The debate is now over whether Democrats will use their House majority to constrain a program that gives parents more education options. Any major change will require lawmakers to navigate a divided legislature, with Republicans still holding the Senate.
Reported by ProPublica, Breitbart.
