1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

Thank you for your response regarding HB 3 and your stance on parental empowerment in education. While I appreciate your commitment to expanding school choice, I must respectfully disagree with the approach outlined in the bill and the broader implications of diverting public funds to private institutions. 1. Undermining Public Schools: HB 3 risks further destabilizing Texas’ public education system by siphoning critical funding away from neighborhood schools, many of which are already under-resourced. The claim that public schools can participate equally in ESA programs is misleading—private institutions are the primary beneficiaries, while public schools lose per-pupil funding without a proportional reduction in fixed costs. This will exacerbate inequities, particularly in rural and low-income districts where private alternatives are scarce or nonexistent. 2. Lack of Accountability: Unlike public schools, private institutions receiving ESA funds are not held to the same standards of transparency, academic performance, or civil rights protections. They can selectively admit students, discriminate based on religion or disability, and operate without oversight—all while taxpayers foot the bill. The $30k cap for special needs students is inadequate for many families and does not guarantee access to schools equipped to serve them. 3. Prioritizing Wealthier Families: While the bill includes income tiers, reserving spots for families earning up to 500% of the poverty line (over $150k for a family of four) stretches the definition of "need." This risks subsidizing affluent families already enrolled in private schools, rather than targeting resources to those truly trapped in underperforming schools. 4. False "Choice" for Rural Texans: In vast areas of Texas, private schools are unavailable, and homeschooling is the only alternative. ESA programs do nothing to address the root causes of underfunded public schools—they simply redistribute limited resources to a privileged few. A Better Path Forward: If the goal is truly to empower all parents, we should invest in fully funding public education, reducing class sizes, expanding early childhood programs, and raising teacher pay—not diverting funds to unaccountable private entities. Parental choice should not come at the expense of the 90% of Texas children who rely on public schools. I urge you to reconsider supporting HB 3 and instead champion policies that strengthen every child’s right to a quality public education.