Austin News

Governor Greg Abbott has expanded the agenda for the third special session to include universal school choice, along with additional school finance initiatives such as teacher pay raises, school safety, and special education. The decision comes after productive discussions with Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Speaker Dade Phelan.

In a statement, Governor Abbott said, "Working with Speaker Phelan and his House leadership team, the Speaker and I reached an agreement on school choice for Texas families, and I am expanding the agenda for Special Session #3."

The proposed legislation aims to create an Education Savings Accounts program with universal eligibility for all Texas schoolchildren. The program will be voluntary for families and schools to participate in. Participating students will be eligible to receive approximately $10,400 per year in their Education Savings Account, which will be administered by an education organization overseen by the Texas Comptroller on behalf of the parents and students.

In addition to the school choice program, the legislation also includes provisions to provide billions more in public education funding. This funding will be used to boost Texas' public school system, including teacher pay raises, while staying within the constitutional spending limit. The bill also seeks to codify recommendations made by the Teacher Vacancy Task Force, the Commission on Virtual Education, and the Commission on Special Education Funding.

One significant change proposed by the legislation is the phasing out of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) Test, which will be replaced with an improved assessment system. This move aims to address concerns about the effectiveness and impact of standardized testing on students and schools.

Governor Abbott expressed his commitment to delivering school choice to Texas parents and students, saying, "This is the next step in the legislative process to deliver school choice to Texas parents and students who deserve the freedom to choose the education that best fits their learning needs."

The expanded special session agenda reflects the Governor's dedication to improving education in Texas and providing more options for students and families. The legislation will now proceed through the legislative process, with Governor Abbott looking forward to working with both chambers of the Texas Legislature to get the bill to his desk for signing into law.

For additional details, please follow this link: https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-expands-third-special-session-agenda