Despite a price tag of over $5.5 billion over the next five years, the bill provides the state no oversight of public taxpayer funds in private schools, and does not hold private schools to the same standards as public schools in many key areas, such as accommodations and safety.

“We know that school shootings happen in private schools as well, we’ve seen it in Tennessee twice. These private schools do not have to comply with anything that is a prerequisite of the School Safety Commission that we dropped over $100 million to, to make sure that our children are safe,” said Senator Roland Gutierrez, who witnessed the carnage of the 2022 Robb Elementary shooting in rural Uvalde, Texas.

Gutierrez criticized the bill for benefiting a handful of wealthy families at the cost of 5.3 million Texas students that will not be able to access or utilize these taxpayer funds, and filed an amendment that would open the program to and prioritize college and trade school students. The amendment failed.

In states where voucher programs have been established, many of the children who benefit come from wealthier families already attending private school, with families from poor communities utilizing vouchers at a lower rate. Studies in multiple states reveal that voucher programs do not lead to a consistent improvement in test scores for low-income students, and in some cases, vouchers have resulted in steep academic declines.

Gutierrez voted against the bill.