'Sending Education Back': Donald Trump Hails Texas House Passing School Choice Bill What This Means?

(MENAFN- Live Mint) US President Donald Trump lauded Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and Speaker Dustin Burrows, and other Texas legislators for passing the School Choice bill.“We will very soon be sending Education BACK TO ALL THE STATES, where it belongs”, an resoundingly elated Donald Trump posted on Truth Social.

Texas House of Representatives voted early Thursday morning to create one of the largest taxpayer-funded school voucher programs.

Also Read | Trump shifts student loans to Small Business Administration

The Texas House approved the plan, part of a push by President Trump 's allies to offer up to about $10,000 for private school, home-school or virtual learning.

“It is our goal to bring Education in the United States to the highest level, one that it has never attained before. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump added.

Also Read | Donald Trump signs order to largely dismantle education department
US President Donald Trump lauded Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and Speaker Dustin Burrows, and other Texas legislators for passing the School Choice bill

The legislation, championed by Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and Speaker Dustin Burrows, creates a system where state funds-through Education Savings Accounts (ESAs)-can be used by parents to pay for private school tuition, homeschooling, tutoring, and other educational expenses instead of being limited to public schools.

Also Read | Bible banned in school due to 'pornographic' content What does the Texas school choice bill do?

Known as SB 1, the proposal would devote $500 million to education savings accounts (ESA) to provide financial support for families who remove their children from the public school system.

Under SB 1, each student would be allotted $8,000 annually -- for private school tuition, tutoring, textbooks or other approved expenses.

The program would be capped at $1 billion in its first year, but could grow quickly, potentially reaching an estimated $4.5 billion a year by 2030.

The funds can be used for private school tuition and for costs associated with home-schooling, including curriculum materials and virtual learning programs.

Also Read | Elon Musk's BIG statement after DOGE takes over the Education Department in US What is school choice and why is it becoming more popular?

School choice in the United States has seen significant growth, with thirty-two states and Washington, DC now offering some form of programme, and 2023 marking a particularly notable year as seven states introduced new initiatives and ten states expanded existing ones.

These programmes encompass a range of educational options, including charter schools, voucher schemes, Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), and home schooling, all designed to give parents greater control over their children's education rather than being limited to their local public schools.

The concept has its roots in the early 1990s, with Wisconsin pioneering the first modern voucher programme and Minnesota enacting the country's first charter school law soon after.

Also Read | US to defund education department as Elon Musk pushes to end 'wasteful' spending

According to EdChoice, the popularity of school choice has been driven by decades of public education efforts, the normalisation of alternative schooling through charter schools, and a surge in demand for flexible options following the Covid-19 pandemic.

ESAs, which allow parents to use public funds for a variety of approved educational expenses, have emerged as the most popular choice, now present in thirteen states.

Support for these policies remains strong among parents in the US and the wider public, reflecting a broader shift towards educational models that prioritise parental choice and student needs.

MENAFN17042025007365015876ID1109443839