Experts: Parents could incur additional costs if approved for Texas private school voucher program

Parents who can soon apply for Texas' new private school voucher program could face sticker shock, education experts believe.

TEXAS OPENS THE PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHER; APPLICATION STARTS SOON

Last year, Texas lawmakers passed a $1 billion private school voucher program. The comptroller's office is behind the rollout.

Starting on Feb. 4, eligible parents can apply. If approved, families can receive about $10,500 in taxpayer dollars for private education- a program parents are looking to explore.

"Possibly, but it's not something I just automatically think of doing," Britanie Dwyer said.

The application window is open until March 17. The comptroller's office said parents will find out in April if they're approved.

DESPITE THE VOUCHER, EXPERTS EXPLAIN WHY STICKER SHOCK COULD BE COMING

The comptroller's office said approved families won't receive the money until July. In order to apply, a spokesperson told ABC13 that students don't have to be enrolled in a private school.

A University of Texas education professor, David DeMatthews, said parents may not want to wait.

"Most, if not all of those seats, especially at the most competitive private schools, will be taken by those families with the means, those families already enrolling their children in private schools," he said.

In the list of approved schools, in order to enroll in many of them, there are hundreds of dollars in fees.

"I think families are going to see sticker shock," DeMatthews explained. "They're going to be really upset, and the overwhelming majority of this billion dollars is going to go to wealthy families already sending their children to private schools."

DeMatthews believes 70% or more of the students who receive voucher money will have been enrolled in private school before the program started.

The comptroller's office said parents can work with schools on the fees. ABC13 reached out to some of the participating schools to ask whether they'd be willing to wait to collect fees until this summer.
So far, we have not heard from them.

"I wouldn't be able to afford it," Dwyer said. "Not everybody has hundreds of dollars every day just to spend."

ADVOCATES ARGUE THE PROGRAM TOOK TIME AND WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 2 last May- a $1 billion program that lawmakers said could help 100,000 students.

The state tasked the comptroller's office with launching the program months after it was signed into law. Advocates have said it had to be done correctly to ensure the money is used correctly.

"The name of the game here is acting as fast as we can here within the legal constraints of the program," American Federation for Children Texas State Director Nathan Cunneen said.

Cunneen said his organization and the state have been working for months to educate Texans and get them ready to apply. He said research has shown that in other states with voucher programs, choice can make a difference.

"If your current education environment isn't working for you, then the Texas Education Freedom accounts program is designed to give you a tool in your tool belt so that you can access what's best for your kid," Cunneen explained.

Lawmakers said the program, with a $1 billion price tag, is the largest day-one voucher program in the country.

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