Should tax dollars fund school choice, or be spent only for public schools?

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has vowed to pass a school choice bill in this legislative session. Advocates have rallied at the Capitol. Has Texas waited long enough for school choice, or is paying public dollars to send kids to private schools still wrong? If a choice bill advances, should it include facility funding for charter schools? Should funding come from current school budgets or from businesses that donate money in return for tax credits?

Tax money should go to all public school children not a few that can afford 40 percent of private tuition which Patrick’s plan will require.

School choice is a phrase being used by businesses that want to stick their hands into the education money pot.

Sending tax dollars to private schools without any oversight from the government is a poor use of our taxes and is like stealing from public school children.

It will weaken our system, not make it better.

— Barbara Reed Wilson, Arlington

A good public education system is America’s greatest asset. Anywhere but in Texas, that is.

Here, we underfund our educational system and wonder why Texas students so poorly compare to students in other states.

An educationally malnourished student produces anemic results. Slicing thinner pieces of the pie for privatization of education only exacerbates the problem.

Fully fund the public education system, quit tinkering and let the public school teachers of Texas show us what they can with decent support.

— Bruce Cavin, Fort Worth

We believe in school choice and support paying our hard-earned tax dollars to send Texas children to private Christian schools.

We do not believe in sending them to public schools which deny the name of Christ under the guise of political correctness.

The foundations of our Christian country are being eroded.

— Jim and Sandy Russell,

Hurst

If the private schools accept state money for student tuition, eventually they will become dependent on this source of income.

When that happens, the state can start dictating what the private schools can and can’t do, what students they must accept and what they must teach, not to mention how they discipline and who can be expelled.

For private schools to accept state or federal money would be a grave mistake and the end of free thought and autonomy for private schools.

On the other hand vouchers among the public schools could be a very good thing because competition always creates improvement.

— Marcelle Houston Borgers,

Fort Worth

I adamantly oppose using private school vouchers to allow parents to transfer their children out of public schools and into private, parochial or charter schools.

This would destroy the public school system in Texas. If parents want their children to go to a private or parochial school then they can just pay the tuition and fees.

We need to put this money and other money into improving the public school system in Texas for all Texas children.

There have been examples of private schools and charter schools in Texas failing, including a very recent high profile one, and not offering a quality education.

We need to provide an educational experience for all Texas children.

— Walter H. Delashmit, Justin

Texas and the rest of the country have waited long enough for school choice.

Parents should be allowed to educate their children with their own resources but we have generational traditions that allow institutional apathy and laziness.

At this point the best society can hope for is a voucher system, returning a portion of tax money, so parents can get accountable teachers that will educate their children according to their own values and desires.

— Ralph M. Gill, Fort Worth

If this school bill is passed, what good will it do, especially academically?

I have attended three graduations of my nephews, the Universities of Texas, A&M and North Texas.

At each graduation, the majority of academic awards went to children of immigrants,

Why? Are they better at training their children even before schooling starts, instilling in them the importance of education?

I have no sure explanation.

A massive amount of money could be spent on school problems and needs. But what’s needed most is parental training, concern and involvement in their children’s schooling!

— George J. Anthony, Fort Worth

I was a bit perplexed by Dick Army’s column about school choice.

Is this really an issue in Texas or is he just trying to create one that doesn’t exist to support Dan Patrick’s “school choice legislation” proposal that is really intended to take taxpayer money from public schools to subsidize private schools and has nothing to do with a parents right of school choice?

— Lynne Doyle, Euless

This story was originally published February 6, 2015 at 6:47 PM with the headline "Should tax dollars fund school choice, or be spent only for public schools?."