Senate Bill 2 - School Vouchers

Editorial: Public Dollars Belong in Public Schools, Not Private Pockets

By Patrick Dierschke

The Texas Legislature’s recent passage of Senate Bill 2—a measure that diverts public tax dollars to private schools under the guise of “school choice”—is a betrayal of Texas families, especially those in rural communities like San Angelo. Our own Senator Charles Perry voted in favor of this bill, turning his back on public school students, teachers, and taxpayers.

San Angelo should stand firmly against using taxpayer dollars to fund private education. Senate Bill 2 will drain resources from our already underfunded public schools, diverting them to private institutions that are neither obligated to accept every child nor required to uphold the same accountability standards as public schools.

How Does This Impact San Angelo?

Unlike large metropolitan areas, San Angelo has only a handful of private schools, and even fewer that serve low-income or special needs students. The vast majority of children in our community attend San Angelo ISD, Grape Creek ISD, Christoval ISD, Wall ISD, and other public districts. Senate Bill 2 will not help these students; it will instead funnel public money into a system that serves only a privileged few.

Let’s be clear: this is not about giving parents more choices. This is about subsidizing private education at the expense of the 90% of Texas students who attend public schools. San Angelo’s public schools are already struggling with teacher shortages, outdated facilities, and limited funding for special education. Instead of addressing these urgent needs, Senator Perry and his colleagues chose to weaken public education in favor of private interests.

Senator Perry’s Vote: A Betrayal of His Constituents

San Angelo and the surrounding Concho Valley region rely on strong public schools to educate our future workforce, support local families, and maintain a thriving community. By voting for Senate Bill 2, Senator Perry ignored the needs of rural Texas, favoring an agenda that benefits elite private institutions over the hardworking families he was elected to represent.

This is not conservative governance. This is corporate welfare disguised as education reform. Public tax dollars should be used to strengthen public schools, not subsidize tuition for families who already have access to private education. If the Texas Legislature wants to improve education, they should focus on increasing teacher pay, reducing classroom sizes, and ensuring that all children—regardless of zip code—receive a quality education.

San Angelo Family Network urges local families to hold Senator Perry accountable. Demand that he stand up for public education, not private school profits. Our tax dollars should stay in our schools, not be funneled into a broken voucher scheme that only serves the privileged few.