Letters to the editor: Most people just want good, well-funded public schools for their children

Underperformance by design

Re: “Poll: Minority Texans want school vouchers. We should listen to black and Hispanic parents who want better for their children,” August 2 editorial.

Your editorial highlights the popularity of vouchers among Texans. Parents are understandably looking for solutions to improve their children’s educational opportunities. Our public schools are struggling because Governor Greg Abbott and his allies have steadily reduced funding, degrading the quality of our public schools.

With last session’s large surplus, Texas could have easily increased public school funding with the goal of developing top-notch public schools. Instead, the Texas Legislature has steadily reduced spending on K-12 education. There has been no increase in the per-pupil funding formula since 2019 despite 20% inflation.

Of the 50 states, Texas ranks 30th in teacher salaries and 46th in per-pupil spending. I would like to see a survey asking Texans whether they would prefer their children to attend a high-quality neighborhood public school or a private school. Private schools often present transportation challenges and require additional tuition beyond what vouchers offer.

Texas schools are underperforming by design. We should consider all options to improve education instead of falling into the voucher trap our governor has set for us.

Brian Smith, Colleyville

It’s a good start

Thank you for pointing out what has been an open secret about school vouchers. While opponents have been clamoring that school choice is “welfare for the rich,” the real beneficiaries would obviously be inner-city children whose schools have been notoriously underperforming for decades. While I don’t agree that school vouchers should only be available for a “limited, means-tested program for parents of children in troubled schools,” any such program would be a good start.

I think putting such limits on who gets help would be too difficult to manage fairly.

Les Gregory, Frisco

Money matters

Your editorial on school vouchers, like most of the information I see, overlooks an important aspect of private education. As in all areas of business, the companies that run private schools conduct market research to determine the funding available when setting prices.

I have not seen any plans to limit inflation in private school tuition once the state pumps money into that market. Absent some tools to prevent inflation in private school tuition, I am confident that very few parents will cross the threshold of funding through vouchers and gain the ability to choose which school their children will attend.

I see record profits for private schools in the future. I think that’s why education industry investors have made large donations to fund Governor Greg Abbott’s campaign.

Kenneth Mathias, Grand Prairie

Maybe I’m being cynical…

According to a recent poll, a majority of Texans support a school voucher program. I wonder what the outcome would have been if the question had offered a choice: Would you rather your neighborhood public school receive adequate funding so that your children receive a high-quality education taught by certified teachers in a safe environment, or would you prefer school vouchers?

The state allocation to public schools has not changed since 2019. Inflation through 2023 was 20%. Anyone who has been to a grocery store in recent years knows the impact that would have on their household. In 2023, the Legislature imposed additional, underfunded safety mandates on schools.

Call me cynical, but it’s almost as if our Republican state leaders are trying to destroy public education so that state funds can be diverted to private religious schools, places that are Gov. Greg Abbott’s favorite venues for his voucher speeches.

Paul Sokal, Dallas/Preston Hollow

Research and vote

I don’t understand why minorities want vouchers to solve the problem of poor education in their schools. Vouchers don’t take into account their real interests and this editorial contradicts the newspaper’s commitment to strong public schools.

The editorial mentions the Dallas Independent School District, which is predominantly made up of minorities and works hard to provide exemplary education. It then states that “there are too many schools that do not help students get the education they deserve.”

Well, public schools have not seen an increase in state funding for students or teacher salaries for several years, and many districts are running a deficit budget for 2024-25.

What would help those public school students is for our Legislature to adequately fund the public schools required by the state constitution and orient education there toward best practices.

In the November election, 15 Texas senators and all of the House representatives are up for election. Voters who care about education in Texas should do their research and vote. The Dallas Morning News The editorial states: “Public education is the cornerstone of America.”

Rebecca Bertoni, Lantana

I’m still not convinced

This editorial on school vouchers was in favor of a limited, means-tested program for parents of children attending failing schools. I’m still not convinced that school vouchers are a good idea. If we have them, I think they should be limited to low-income families whose children attend underperforming schools. I don’t like the idea of ​​giving money to rich families.

Tom Hudiburgh, Carrollton

It is not a good investment

Gov. Greg Abbott has worked hard over the past two years to get lawmakers to approve a school voucher program. He even helped fund the campaigns of people running against lawmakers who had voted against vouchers.

Although all seven of my grandchildren have attended private schools, I do not believe that vouchers are a good investment of taxpayer dollars. It is a bad idea to take tax money away from public schools and give it to a “Jim Jones Academy” or a “David Koresh Academy” where taxpayers have no control over what students are taught.

Rebecca L. Spaeth, Dallas

Additional impoverishment

Re: “Abbott wants school vouchers, but do Texans too? Poll at two state universities finds majority in favor of idea,” Metro & Business article, August 2.

Both this story and the August 2 editorial go in a completely different direction than I had understood before. Lawmakers have voted against vouchers several times. People in rural districts are reported to have no access to anything that can be purchased with vouchers. Other reports have said that Texans don’t want vouchers, so why the sudden change?

Also, when were vouchers for “special needs therapy and other educational materials” needed? Schools should be providing them now.

Obtaining a voucher does not guarantee a student’s admission to a private school. Typically, the student must meet the necessary requirements. Parents must pay the remainder of the cost.

What vouchers do is further impoverish a public school system that is already underfunded and understaffed. If some of our surplus, which the governor jealously guards, were earmarked to provide adequate funding for schools and related expenses and salaries, the voucher issue would virtually disappear. We now have a variety of school types and choices and could adequately meet the needs of most students if the funding were available.

Carol Stephenson, Mesquite

I oppose vouchers

As an educator with 40 years of experience, I fully support the idea of ​​parents being able to choose which schools their children attend. However, the costs of transportation to and from schools should not be borne by taxpayers.

Governor Greg Abbott’s plan for school choice includes having taxpayers pay for children’s education in private schools, which is a mistake. Many of those who attend private schools are wealthy. Therefore, Abbott and his fellow Republicans who support that plan are doing nothing more than providing subsidies to the wealthy. As a taxpayer, I oppose it and believe it should go against our state constitution.

Edward Lindsay, Fort Worth

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