It only took the Texas Senate 22 days from the start of this year’s legislative session to introduce, debate and pass its priority school voucher bill.
Senate Bill 2, which would allow families to use taxpayer dollars to fund their children’s private school tuition, now awaits a vote in the House where similar legislation repeatedly hit a dead end two years ago. But while the Senate has moved swiftly on vouchers, state officials and education advocates have expressed a need for significant investment in public schools, which the state has a constitutional requirement to fund and where 5.5 million children receive their education.
From declining enrollment, budget deficits and program cuts to student absences, teacher shortages and campus closures, public schools walked into the 2025 legislative session with major challenges.
