School Vouchers: How they could change the public education landscape

SAN ANTONIO - The political debate continues at the Texas Capitol over the future of a bill to create a school voucher program. A political scientist and parents share what they think the challenges Senate Bill 1 faces in the Texas House.

The issue of school vouchers in Texas is complicated. So we took questions about the debate to Dr. Scott Dittloff, a political scientist at UIW. He says the debate is difficult.

"If we move people out of that public school, we don’t have any of that control," says Dr. Dittloff.

He thinks funding a another school system will significantly weaken local community schools and existing charters.

"We’re going to have more and more in the public school system that is responsible for people that have greater need and greater cost," says Dr. Dittloff.

Senate Bill 1 sets aside tax dollars for parents to get up to $8,000 for sending a child to private school.

Wallethub ranked the best and worst public-school systems and Texas came in 28th in state public school systems.

And we found parents on both sides of the debate. Brooke Meabon is active in her kids’ parent/teacher organization and is against school vouchers.

"The voucher program will take public school funding - put that towards already tuition rich private schools," says parent Brooke Meabon. "Public schools offer a certain level of transparency. Voucher-funded private schools wouldn’t be held to these same standards of transparency."

But parents like Maria and Ender Finol say parents should be given a choice.

"We were supplementing a lot at home, in addition to what was given at school, and it still wasn’t enough," says parent Maria Finol.

If vouchers are passed, Dr. Dittloff says the education system could eventually turn into a 2-tier education system.

"What we’re going to have is the wealthy students are going to private schools - and everyone else, well off but not wealthy people that are in public schools," says Dr. Dittloff.