The Tarrant County GOP rejected a resolution in support of equal state funding for all Texas families – regardless of whether they send their kids to public or private schools.
Precinct chairs for the party voted down the resolution presented at last Saturday’s executive committee meeting. It comes as Gov. Greg Abbott is once again pushing the Legislature to create voucher-like Education Savings Accounts, allowing parents to use public dollars to pay for private schools, after they failed in 2023.
Precinct chair Hollie Plemons, a mom of three and a voucher opponent, said the state should instead put money towards fixing public schools.
“They're not doing the will of the people,” said Plemons, who was not at the meeting but posted about it on X. “I would like to let them know that we are a government that is for the people and by the people.”
If it had passed, the resolution would have called on the Legislature to "fund all Texas families equally." It also called for no new requirements for or restrictions on private schools that receive public funding.
The county party’s rejection is seemingly a break from the Texas GOP, whose platform states education dollars should follow the student.
“It made me really proud of our executive committee, because it's not the popular thing to be saying right now in our party,” Plemons said.
KERA reached out to the Texas Republican Party and the Tarrant County GOP but did not hear back.
The Texas Senate last month passed a bill that would create a $1 billion ESA program that would give families $10,000 – more for students with disabilities – to pay for private school. The Texas House Education Committee this week heard testimony on a similar bill.
Proponents of what Abbott calls “school choice” say it gives parents more power in education decisions, and benefits students.
Abbott named it one of his priority items for this legislative session.
KERA's Nadya Faulx contributed reporting to this story.
Olla Mokhtar is KERA’s news intern. Got a tip? Email Olla at omokhtar@kera.org.
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