School Vouchers
School vouchers divert scarce public education funds to private schools, which are not required to comply with federal protections for students with disabilities or report and track spending and student performance.
For these reasons, Raise Your Hand Texas supports keeping education tax dollars in public schools and investing in quality public school choice and innovative programs.
Vouchers reduce equitable access to educational opportunities, weaken rights for students with disabilities, and expose taxpayers to fraud. Voucher programs in other states have a long history of expanding well beyond their intended scope, even surpassing spending limits set by their legislation, resulting in increased state spending on programs that benefit private schools and businesses. Vouchers rarely cover the full cost of private school tuition, leaving families targeted by these programs to pay the difference, which could be thousands of dollars. Research also shows vouchers do not improve student achievement.
Vouchers also hurt our public schools by forcing rural communities to pay into a system they likely are unable to participate in, not protecting the rights of special education students, and leaving middle- and lower-class families with a large tuition bill for expenses not covered by a voucher.
It should be clear. Vouchers hurt our public schools, and public dollars must remain in public schools.
Where We Stand
Our 2023 School Vouchers Legislative Priorities
Vouchers reduce equitable access to educational opportunity, weaken rights for students with disabilities, and expose taxpayers to fraud. The Legislature should reject any type of voucher.
