- United States
- Texas
- Letter
The proposed school choice program in Texas raises significant concerns about equity, funding for public education, and the separation of church and state. While the intention is to provide more options for families, offering $10,000 per year for students to attend private schools will primarily benefit wealthier households who can afford the additional costs, as most private schools charge far more than $10,000 annually. This initiative threatens to divert desperately needed resources from already underfunded public schools serving the vast majority of students, particularly those from low-income backgrounds. Moreover, the program risks funding religious schooling with government resources, breaching the principle of separation of church and state. Education should be free from ideological indoctrination, and public funds should not support the promotion of specific beliefs or worldviews. Public education plays a vital role in providing equal opportunities for all children to receive a quality, secular education, regardless of their socioeconomic status or religious affiliation. Instead of diverting funding towards voucher programs, the focus should be on adequately funding and improving the public education system to ensure every student has access to a high-quality, ideology-free education.