The Death of Texas Public Schools: How Vouchers Will Threaten our Education System

In February, a local town hall meeting with Texas House Representative Helen Kerwin prompted Jessica Clingan to voice her concerns regarding the representative’s understanding of public education issues. Following the meeting, Clingan invited Representative Kerwin to visit her classroom. During a subsequent phone conversation on March 14, Representative Kerwin asked Clingan to propose five solutions for improving public schools, as well as five points regarding the voucher bill. This article presents Jessica Clingan’s response, which outlines actionable steps for enhancing public education and addresses the challenges associated with the voucher bill.

Clingan notes that Representative Kerwin agreed to share this information with all members of the Texas House. However, since Representative Kerwin has not yet responded to Clingan’s submission, Clingan has now sent this information to all members of the Texas House Committee on Public Education. Here is the information she provided.

Representative Kerwin

I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to provide my thoughts and input on House Bill 3 (HB3) and the ramifications of vouchers and Educational Savings Accounts (ESAs) in Texas. After thorough research and consideration, I find myself unable to suggest five ways to improve this legislation. In my view, the best and most ethical course of action would be to abandon this bill entirely and prevent the allocation of public funds to private entities. There is absolutely no amendment or change that can fix this bill. In addition, it does not represent the true interests of the vast majority of Texans, therefore undermining our representative form of government entirely. The reasons I vehemently oppose this bill, or ANY bill, allocating public funds to private hands are as follows:

Governor Abbott’s Stance on Public Education Funding

Contrary to Governor Greg Abbott’s statements on his current voucher social media campaign, he has, in fact, acknowledged that implementing school voucher programs would lead to reduced funding for public schools. On February 13, he stated that when students leave public schools for private alternatives, the funding follows them, which would ultimately diminish resources available to already struggling public schools. (Houston Chronicle)

Advocacy for Private Schools and Potential Conflicts of Interest

Governor Abbott has relentlessly promoted school voucher programs, frequently visiting private schools to gain support. On February 17, 2025, he attended the Parent Empowerment Night at San Antonio Christian School, where he addressed parents about the benefits of vouchers or ESAs, stating, “We will pass school choice in the state of Texas.” Earlier that month, on February 5, he visited Athens Christian Preparatory Academy to discuss the proposed education savings account program, allegedly emphasizing the importance of providing the best education for ALL Texas students. However, when was the last time Mr. Abbott visited a public school? If vouchers or ESAs are truly for ALL Texan kids, why would he only visit those that are already attending private schools? Additionally, First Lady Cecilia Abbott currently serves on the board of Blaze School, a private academy near Austin. This raises serious ethical concerns about a potential conflict of interest in Abbott’s incessant advocating for policies that will ultimately financially benefit private institutions and individuals. Profitizing education is not the answer to growth.

Advocacy for Private Schools and Potential Conflicts of Interest

The Double Standard: Private Schools and Accountability

One of the most alarming aspects of HB3 is the lack of accountability for private schools that accept public funds through vouchers. The bill itself states that private institutions receiving voucher funds will not be required to follow the same accountability standards as public schools. While public schools must meet increasingly rigorous state and federal requirements for curriculum, teacher qualifications, and student performance, private schools are not required to adhere to any such mandate. Private schools are not subject to the same level of transparency to the community or any kind of oversight, allowing them to operate without the academic and financial accountability that ensures public schools serve all students equally. Taxpayer funds should never go to any entity that is not accountable to them.

Influence of Wealthy Donors on Educational Policy

The absolute most disturbing aspect of the proposal of any kind of vouchers/ESAs is that the Texas Constitution explicitly prohibits undue influence on elected officials and the political process.

Article 3, Section 24 states:

“No person shall be permitted to use any undue influence in any manner whatsoever to affect the outcome of any election or to control the actions of any elected official.”

With complete disregard to our state’s governing laws, incredibly affluent individuals such as Jeff Yass have extensively funded efforts to pass voucher programs across the nation. In January 2024, Yass donated $6 million to Governor Abbott’s campaign, which was the largest single political donation in Texas history. In April 2024, he contributed an additional $6 million, bringing his total donations to Abbott to $12 million within a year. Similarly, Tim Dunn and the Wilks brothers have funded relentless campaigns against other Republicans, strictly promoting candidates who align with their education policy goals and agenda. These substantial financial contributions to political campaigns and policy initiatives are seriously concerning and raise questions about the undue influence of a few mega-wealthy donors in shaping public education policy. Continuing to allow the push for privatizing education is effectively undermining our great state’s Constitution, the democratic process, and ultimately the will of the people of Texas.

In conclusion, I firmly believe that HB3, along with similar voucher and ESA initiatives, undermines the foundational principles of our Constitution and its requirement to provide a free system of public education by redirecting essential funds to private entities. To safeguard the quality and equity of education in Texas, it is imperative to oppose such legislation and ensure that public resources are dedicated exclusively to strengthening our public schools.

Thank you for your time and consideration on this matter. I urge you, please vote NO for HB3 and prevent irreparable harm to our state’s public schools. 95% of Texas students attend public schools. The future of Texas is literally in our public schools every day. Fully funding them and supporting Texas public school teachers and students is, always has been, and always will be the answer.

References

Houston Chronicle. (2025, February 20). Greg Abbott says vouchers may lead to less funding for public schools.
Texas Tribune. (2024, June 21). School voucher crusade in Texas is 30 years in the making.
Texas AFT. (2024). Texas AFT releases dossiers exposing the billionaires bankrolling school privatization.
Houston Chronicle. (2024, January 16). Now we have a Yass man in the governor’s office (Editorial).
Texas Tribune. (2024, February 27). Greg Abbott, Tim Dunn spend millions in Texas GOP primary fights.
Spectrum Local News. (2025, February 20). Abbott promotes school vouchers at multiple stops in Texas.
Texas Tribune. (2025, February 20). Texas House bill ties school vouchers to state, local funding.
ProPublica. (2024, June 21). Greg Abbott’s School Voucher Crusade Is Three Decades in the Making.
Texas Tribune. (2024, November 6). Abbott says Texas will pass vouchers, school funding in 2025.