Texas Private Schools Association Executive Director discusses school vouchers after no progress in special session

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – Despite four special sessions the Texas Legislature has not passed Gov. Greg Abbott’s priority item of school vouchers. Public school superintendents have voiced their concerns about the program if it were to get passed, but Laura Colangelo, the Executive Director of the Texas Private Schools Association, said her group is all for the latest version of the bill.

“I can’t say we would be for every bill that has been proposed in the legislature, but the one the HB1 and SB1 from this last session, we are very much in favor of,” Colangelo said. “That it is about 50,000 students statewide that would be eligible to attend a private school and that they can’t afford it right now, and they would have that opportunity to go.”

Colangelo said nearly all of the private schools in the state of Texas are ready to receive more students if a school choice or school voucher law is passed. “There’s already private financial aid for families and private schools, but it runs out sometimes during the year, and they’re not able to bring in those new families that need another option,” Colangelo said.

Colangelo points to states like Florida and how successful a school voucher program has been in that state. “The reason we really like the Florida data is that those areas of the state that have a robust school choice program, the test scores of the kids in. Public schools go up. The per pupil funding of the public schools in that area go up and families are all happy with the choices they get to make.”

Despite the legislature failing to pass a law during the regular session or any of the four special sessions called by Gov. Abbott, Colangelo said she and her group will be ready to go back to the capitol to continue their fight. “I think that we may be waiting through the elections and start this up again in January of 2025. But whenever we resume this discussion, we’ll be there and we’ll be trying to open opportunities for more Texas families.”