Gregg Abbott and the Texas GOP are stealing from our children

The idea that Texas is stealing from our own children is not hyperbole, it is the reality of the state's new school voucher program. By funneling billions of taxpayer dollars away from public schools and into private, unaccountable institutions, Texas leaders are making the ultimate sacrifice: our children's education and their future.

A Billion-Dollar Heist from Public Classrooms

The Texas Legislature has set aside $1 billion for the inaugural year of the private school voucher program for the 2026–27 school year.  That is just the beginning. Legislative budget experts predict this will balloon to approximately $4 billion a year by 2030. This money is not new revenue; it is being diverted from the very system that educates the vast majority of Texas children.

Families can now apply for vouchers worth up to $10,500 per year for private school students, up to $30,000 for children with disabilities, and up to $2,000 for home-schoolers. While this may sound like "choice," it is a zero-sum game. Texas public schools receive funding based on student attendance, meaning they will lose money for every child who leaves to participate in the voucher program.

The Evidence: Vouchers Steal from Public Schools

Voucher advocates deny that diverting billions will hurt public school districts, but the evidence from other states tells a very different story. States with established voucher programs have a documented history of "robbing from their public schools to feed their voucher programs". Consider the track record:

Florida increased spending on vouchers by 313% between 2008 and 2019, while cutting per-pupil funding for public education by 12%.

Arizona increased voucher spending by 270% over the same period, while cutting per-pupil public education funding by 5.7%.

Georgia increased voucher spending by a staggering 883% while cutting per-pupil public school funding.

Indiana increased voucher spending by 796% and cut public education funding.

This is the blueprint for Texas. The pattern is unmistakable: funds for vouchers grow, funds for public schools shrink. Our children pay the price.

The Cost to Texas Children

The consequences are already visible. School districts across Texas are slashing staff positions, cutting programming, and shuttering campuses to manage deficit budgets. Public schools are already underfunded, receiving $5,000 less per child than the national average, while teachers are paid $9,000 less than their peers in other states.

And who benefits from this diversion? Predominantly wealthy families who can already afford private education. Private schools remain majority-white institutions, while Texas public schools serve a predominantly Hispanic and Black student population. This is not school choice, it is a resegregation of our education system, echoing the discriminatory voucher plans Texas lawmakers first proposed in 1957 to avoid desegregation.

Gina Hinojosa's Vision: Fully Fund Public Schools and Pay Teachers What They're Worth

There is a better path. Gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa has laid out a clear, comprehensive plan to fully fund public schools and restore dignity to the teaching profession.

"We fight for our public schools because they are essential to the American dream," Hinojosa has declared. Her plan is straightforward:

1. Fully Fund Public Education

Hinojosa has filed legislation to cut through bureaucracy and vendor contracts at the Texas Education Agency and reprioritize that money to what truly matters: teacher pay, school safety, and closing the special education funding gap. She has called for wiping out the state's $1 billion private school voucher program entirely.

2. Raise Teacher Pay to Among the Highest in the Nation

Hinojosa is calling for redirecting funds to raise teacher pay to among the highest in the nation, citing a reported teacher exodus and increasing reliance on uncertified educators. "We need our most skillful teachers back in the classroom," she said. "Our kids deserve it."

3. End State Takeovers and Restore Local Control

Hinojosa has launched "Team Texas Public Schools," a nonpartisan initiative to empower parents, teachers, and administrators to fight for public education. She has vowed to end state takeovers of school districts and return schools to communities. On day one as governor, she would fire TEA Commissioner Mike Morath.

4. Stop the Wasteful Spending

Hinojosa points to a "corruption tax" under Governor Greg Abbott, arguing that state dollars have increasingly flowed to vendor contracts tied to political insiders instead of classrooms. "Even though we pay more, we get less," she told supporters. Her zero-based budgeting bill would force the state to examine every contract and cancel those "that bear no fruit".

The Choice Before Us

This November, Texas faces a clear choice. We can continue down a path that siphons billions from our public schools and undermines the education of millions of children, or we can choose a leader who will fully fund public education, pay teachers what they are worth, and put our children's future first.

The ultimate sacrifice is our children's education, but we do not have to make it. Gina Hinojosa has a plan to invest in our public schools, support our teachers, and ensure every Texas child has access to a quality education. It is time to take back Texas, for our children.

If you want to help Rep. Gina Hinojosa fight for our children, teachers and public schools join us at our monthly Happy Hour to hear directly from one of campaign staff on how we can Reach out and save our schools! RSVP below.

Read the full Blue Notes here: https://mailchi.mp/mckinneydemocrats/blue-notes-june-18170326