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Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. A conversation among state senators and guests invited to the Texas Capitol to speak Tuesday about legislation to create a school voucher-like program largely focused on whether the proposal would live up to its promise of prioritizing low-income families and children with disabilities. Senate Bill 2, a bill authored by Sen. Brandon Creighton, a Republican from Conroe who chairs the Senate Education Committee, would create an education savings...

AUSTIN – A Texas Senate committee will take up the voucher-style school choice bill Tuesday in a hearing on what has been Gov. Greg Abbott’s chief policy goal for the Texas Legislature. Senate Bill 2 was unveiled Friday in the Texas Senate, where it was quickly sent to the Senate Education K-16 Committee chaired by the author of the bill, Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe. Creighton has carried the school choice bill, which would allow families to use taxpayer money for private school education, for several legislative sessions. The effort has...

One of the primary sponsors of a far-reaching overhaul to education in Texas filed Senate Bill 2. Sen. Brandon Creighton's bill would create a school choice voucher program allowing families to use public school dollars on private and home schools. It will be one of the most closely watched bills after a coalition of Democrats and mostly rural Republicans voted down a similar idea in the Texas House. The bill is expected to easily pass the Texas Senate, as one of the top priorities of the chamber's leader, Lt. Governor...

The Texas Senate is preparing for a new debate on a school voucher program. On Tuesday, there will be a war of words over a proposal to give Texas families $10,000 a year to pay for private school. The legislative session started earlier this month and school choice vouchers already have more momentum than they have had in past sessions. Both the Texas House and Senate just released budget priorities that set aside $1 billion dollars to create education savings accounts. “There really is a lot of concern,” said Matthew...

Day one of Tennessee Special Session in photos House Speaker Cameron Sexton, listens to questions from representatives during the first day of Special Session at Tennessee State Capitol Building in Nashville , Tenn., Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. Nicole Hester / The Tennessean Rep. Esther Helton-Haynes R- East Ridge listens during the first day of Special Session at Tennessee State Capitol Building in Nashville , Tenn., Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. Nicole Hester / The Tennessean Lynne McFarland, holds a sign saying witness while representatives leave the House Chambers on the first...

PIERRE, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - A new poll shows that South Dakotans don’t support the implementation of education savings accounts. The South Dakota Public Schools Coalition commissioned the Virginia-based market research company, American Viewpoint, to see how voters in the state feel about education vouchers. Five hundred South Dakotans were interviewed by phone, and the results show they oppose education savings accounts by a margin of up to 58%. The poll also showed that 57% of voters believe public schools receive too little funding. House Bill 1020 was introduced...

(KNSI) – Local private school officials are worried about a proposal in Governor Tim Walz’s latest budget. Prince of Peace Lutheran School in St. Cloud serves grades K through 8. Principal Anne Nielitz estimates that cutting back on state funding would result in a loss of tens of thousands of dollars per year. “It would affect us to the tune of about $35,000 in the first school year that it would come through. We receive about $15,000 that’s available to us for textbook reimbursement, standardized testing, instructional materials.” Nielitz estimates...