Voucher plan is poor policy

The Texas Senate Education Committee this week took up one of the most contentious issues that lawmakers will consider this legislative session: school vouchers.

Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, has authored a bill that would provide about $5,200 of state funding per student for families who want to take their children out of failing public schools and place them in private ones.

Another bill, by Republican Sen. Paul Bettencourt of Houston, would create a nonprofit organization to which businesses, for a tax credit, could donate money to assist those who want to enroll their children in private schools.

Both proposals have failed in past sessions of the Legislature, but since Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and other conservative legislators are strong proponents of the voucher system, this may be the best chance it has of passing.

Opponents rightly argue that any legislation that takes tax dollars away from our already underfunded public system is bad public policy.

This story was originally published March 27, 2015 at 8:29 PM with the headline "Voucher plan is poor policy."