Editor’s note: The above video is the former KXAN coverage of the Senate Bell 2 when it passed in the Senate in Texas.
NEXSTAR-Texas Governor Greg Abbott will sign the Senate Law 2, the Education Account Program (ESA), in the law on Saturday afternoon, and create the largest program to choose schools in the country.
After previous failed attempts, alleged threats against members of the Republican Parliament, and an invitation from President Donald Trump, Abbott will finally get one of his most important priorities through the finish line.
The ruler will be joined alongside the authors of the draft law, the Senator Brandon Creton, R-Conroe, the state deputy, Brad Bacqueli, and R-SALADO, as well as the ruler, Lieutenant Dan Patrick and Speaker of Parliament Dustin Buroz, R-LUBBOCK. The school’s selection lawyer and the principal of private schools are also included to make comments in the signature.
Watch the signing at the video operator above at 2 pm CT on Saturday.
How will the ESAS look like?
The ESA program will allow approved applicants to use public dollars to help cover the costs of sending their children to a private school. Parents will be able to use money to pay things such as tuition fees, school supplies, uniforms, travel, etc.
The program was allocated for a billion dollars in its first year, but the invoice language states that CAP will be removed after the first year of implementation. Projectors can set the same maximum in the next legislative session when they write the budget, or they can even increase or reduce the amount of the program.
How much is each student?
Each acceptable child in the program will receive 85 % of the average state in the state level of the local and state dollar that each student receives in public schools. Now, this slightly over $ 10,000 a year. Special education students can get the same amount of money they will get if they attend public schools, with a maximum of $ 30,000. Students studying at home are qualified to receive up to $ 2000 a year.
Who gives priority?
Due to the presence of the maximum, only many students will be able to benefit from the program. The draft law does not give the priorities of applicants based on educational needs and family income. Here is how it is divided:
| Priority | Eligibility |
| 1 | Children with Disability In a family with income or less than 500 % of the federal poverty line |
| 2 | Children in a family with income or less than 200 % of the federal poverty line |
| 3 | Children in a family with an income exceeding 200 % and less than 500 % of the federal poverty line |
| 4 | Anyone other |
If the financial observer, the agency in charge of operating the program, receives more applicants from available sites, you will use a lottery system to fill the program. The child whose brother is in the program is also placed in the program as well.
What is the following to finance public schools?
The Texas House approved both schools and public schools at the same time. Al -Jahour called on the “Texas Dual Step” initiative. The Democrats in the House of Representatives fought against the European Space Agency program, claiming that it would lead to the loss of public schools on the state dollars, as these funds are determined through attendance.
Democrats have argued that they wanted to use one billion dollars for school selection for use to increase public school financing. Home Law 2The draft law financing public schools, increasing the financing of public schools by about $ 7.7 billion.
The Democrats said that the school financing bill does not go far enough to increase the basic allocation, which is part of the total school financing received by a school area for each student. It was the last time it was an increase in 2019 when the legislative body collided up to $ 6,160. The last school financing bill will increase the basic allocation by $ 340, but the Democrats argue that the basic allocation needs an increase of about 1400 dollars so that schools can catch up with inflation.
But unlike the school selection legislation, the school financing bill has not been adopted in full by both rooms. The draft law has been referred to the Senate concerned with the K-16, but it has no set of session date. The draft law was passed on the same night that the school chose, April 17.
Last week, the state deputy, Jane Woo, de Huston, expressed his concerns that the Senate will not schedule a hearing of school financing. In a line of parliamentary interrogation of the speaker, Wu asked, “Does the Senate realize that if HB 2 does not pass that our school system may collapse completely?”
“Mr. Wu, the chair is not recommended,” Al -Jahour answered.
“I think it is about the ruler forced Bill the voucher of his private school through the house and is now dependent on financing our public schools,” said MP James Talarico, Attorney General. “These were supposed to be two steps from Texas, but now I see one step, and this indicates our public schools throughout the state.”
The last day of the Senate in Texas to consider all reading projects in the second and third reading is May 28, According to taking the deadline of the Legislative Council calendar.