Austin News

Governor Greg Abbott has committed to collaborating with the Texas Legislature to expand school choice during the current legislative session. This announcement was made at a Parent Empowerment Night event held at Harvest Christian Academy in Edinburg.

"Education excellence is what we're trying to achieve," Governor Abbott stated. "We need to ensure that every student gets to find the pathway that's best for them and that we make it available for parents to choose the pathway that’s best for their child. When we finish the session, we will set record highs for the most funding for our public schools than ever in the history of our state. We're going to increase teacher salaries so that the average teacher salary in Texas will be at a record high in Texas. We must become No. 1 in educating our students, and the pathway to achieve that is through school choice."

The Governor reiterated his strong support for school choice, designating it as an emergency item for the 89th Legislative Session. He highlighted that many Texans from rural, urban, and suburban areas favor expanding school choice options for families across Texas. Governor Abbott also expressed his intention to position Texas as a leading state in education by empowering parents, investing in teachers' training and salaries, and upholding high academic standards.

The event saw participation from Representative Janie Lopez, Edinburg Mayor Pro Tem Daniel Diaz, Texas Public Policy Foundation Campaign Director Mandy Drogin, Harvest Christian Academy Head Principal Joe Cruz, Harvest Christian Academy Elementary Principal Joshua Andrade, among other supporters of school choice.

In his State of the State Address on Sunday, Governor Abbott declared school choice an emergency item for this legislative session.