Texas bishops hail passage of school choice bill in state legislature

Austin, Texas, Apr 19, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

The Texas House of Representatives this week approved a sweeping school choice bill, one hailed by the state’s Catholic bishops and which could significantly reshape how families access private and religious education in the state.

Senate Bill 2 passed 86–63 after intense debate. The bill would create a $1 billion Education Savings Account (ESA) program, giving eligible families up to $10,000 per student to spend on tuition, transportation, therapy, and other education-related expenses. It previously passed the state senate in February. 

The measure now heads to a conference committee where lawmakers will reconcile differences between the house and senate versions.

Texas Catholic leaders welcomed the bill’s passage this week. 

“Thank you to all who worked so hard for passage of this legislation that will give parents a true choice for the education of their children,” Bishop Michael Olson of the Diocese of Fort Worth said on X.

The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops likewise praised the vote, calling it the result of sustained collaboration. 

“We have worked alongside you & so many others for this day,” the bishops wrote, naming state house Speaker Dustin Burrows, state Gov. Greg Abbott, and other legislative champions of parental choice.

Abbott, who has made school choice a central plank of his legislative agenda, praised the bill’s passage. “I look forward to this school choice legislation reaching my desk, when I will swiftly sign it into law,” he posted on Instagram.

The vote was also celebrated by longtime school choice advocates. The Texas Public Policy Foundation, which has supported ESA legislation for years, called the bill’s passage a generational victory.

Growing share of Catholic students take part in school choice

This week the National Catholic Educational Association reported that nearly one in five Catholic school students across the U.S. now participate in a school choice program—up nearly five percentage points from last year. 

In states with robust choice legislation, Catholic schools are seeing enrollment stabilize and even grow after decades of decline.

Texas’s 230 Catholic schools serve around 75,000 students, many from working-class and immigrant families. With tuition averaging more than $7,000 per year, schools have long relied on parish subsidies and scholarship funds to make education accessible, meaning the proposed ESA could make Catholic education a sustainable option for many families. 

While Catholic leaders and school choice advocates cheered the vote, others in the legislature criticized the measure. Every state house Democrat opposed the bill, arguing that it would siphon funds away from public schools already facing budget shortfalls.

State Rep. James Talarico proposed putting the issue to a statewide vote. His amendment failed.

“Private school vouchers will take money out of our public schools and give it to wealthy parents who are already sending their kids to private school,” he claimed after the vote.

Amendments to expand the bill’s eligibility and support lower-income families were also rejected, drawing further criticism from Democrats and public school advocates.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced Thursday that he would recommend the state senate concur with the house version without changes. 

“I’ve fought for school choice for my entire legislative career. Now, in consultation with Senator Brandon Creighton, I am recommending the Senate concur with Senate Bill 2—the largest school choice launch in American history,” Patrick wrote on X.

The bill also expands vocational training pathways. State Rep. Gary Gates told CNA the ESA framework aligns with House Bill 20, which he authored to allow high school students to attend Texas State Technical College full time.

“We have an incredible shortage of highly skilled labor in this country,” Gates said. “Here, a high school student could come out of school with no debt.”

If enacted, the ESA program could launch as early as the coming academic year.

Source: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/263483/texas-bishops-hail-passage-of-school-choice-bill-in-state-legislature