1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

First, In HB2, the state budget bill, the Texas House should; Increase the Basic Student Allotment by $1,000 or more ($1,400 is needed to keep up with inflation), and ensure that future increases in our property tax valuation will be directed to Texas public school funding. Second, on SB2 regarding vouchers, I oppose any kind of vouchers or ESA’s for our Texas schools. If a voucher bill must pass: It is critical to see testing and accountability added to SB2 (to prove struggling students using vouchers are helped by this use of public money for private schools). In addition, there should be a Sunset provision so that evaluation of the program is required after 2 years. NO family with an income over $200,000 should qualify for a voucher. Our 5.5 million students in public schools and their dedicated teachers require full funding and support from the Texas Legislature for a strong Texas future.