Senator Eckhardt Denounces Public School Sell Out Following Senate Passage of Destructive Voucher Bill

For Immediate Release Contact
February 5, 2025 Jeffrey Clemmons, 214-244-6058
SENATOR ECKHARDT DENOUNCES PUBLIC SCHOOL SELL OUT
FOLLOWING SENATE PASSAGE OF DESTRUCTIVE VOUCHER BILL
AUSTIN–Today, the Republican-led Texas Senate advanced Senate Bill 2, Governor
Greg Abbott’s priority “schools choose” legislation, to the House. At the outset, the
legislation is expected to cost taxpayers over $1b in 2026.
Initially, just 100,000 vouchers will be made available, most of which will go to
students already enrolled in private schools. After that, any of the 5.4 million students
across Texas can enter the lottery to win a spot in the program. The cost of the
program is expected to balloon to more than $3.7b by 2030.
Analysis by Every Texan has indicated that if just 1% of students in Senate District 14
transfer from their neighborhood schools to a private charter school the district
would lose over $35m, increasing the likelihood of schools closing and less “school
choice.”
Senator Sarah Eckhardt released the following statement:
“Today, Texas has taken another step toward dismantling our democracy. We fail in
our essential obligation to serve every Texan when we lavish money on a minority
who can already afford so-called “choice.” Public dollars should fund public schools.
They can call this whatever they want–school choice, parental freedom, vouchers,
savings accounts–but the bottom line is the same: state leadership is starving our
public schools by inviting private interests to the public trough.”
Sarah Eckhardt is the State Senator for Texas Senate District 14, encompassing Austin, the
live music capital of the world, and its surrounding suburbs. She serves on the Veteran
Affairs, Border Security, Nominations, and Administration Committees. She is the former
Travis County Judge, the first woman to hold that position, and a proud Democrat.