1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

With all due respect, funneling public funds into private school tuition vouchers would undermine Texas's public education system. A voucher program could strip millions in vital funding from already struggling public schools across our state. For every student who utilizes a voucher to attend private school, their local public school district loses that portion of per-student funding. This financial burden threatens to force devastating budget cuts, staff layoffs, program reductions, and even school closures – particularly in rural areas heavily dependent on their public schools. Public education serves as the great equalizer in our society, providing a free, comprehensive education to all children regardless of background or ZIP code. Voucher programs often lack accountability measures, allowing private schools to skirt standards and protections for students with disabilities, risk discrimination in admissions, and divert tax dollars to unaccredited or unsatisfactory institutions. I urge our state legislators to reject any voucher scheme that defunds public schools and instead prioritize providing adequate resources to strengthen our public education system for all Texas children.