San Antonio business leaders have vowed to lobby state legislators in support of funding public education and limiting school voucher bills this legislative session.
Not only have public schools not received increased funding from the state since 2019, school districts have also felt the financially crippling effects of post-pandemic inflation and budget deficits. And this as the state saw a record budget surplus of $34 million last session.
In this week’s episode of “bigcitysmalltown,” podcast host Bob Rivard talks with Mario Barrera, a San Antonio attorney and former chairman of the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, and Luis Rodriguez, president and CEO of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, about why Texas ranks among the worst in funding public schools, what business leaders are doing to invest in education and the ongoing battle over school vouchers and their impact on public schools.
Barrera has been asked why education is so important to him as a business leader. And the answer is simple: he says there is no easier, cheaper, economic development tool for a city than a well-educated and well-trained workforce.
Opting to place his own child in private Catholic schools because his local public schools weren’t performing well, Barrera said he realized the importance of investing in public education and hopes more eligibility requirements and metrics are placed on families who would look to benefit from any voucher or education savings account bill the state may pass.
Earlier this month, the state Senate passed a bill that would grant families up to $10,000 to pay for private school tuition bills, tutoring, transportation and other education-related costs. The Texas House is currently reviewing the bill and a vote is expected to take place soon.
As an attorney, Barrera said he discourages his clients from speculating on motive during witness testimonies. But when it comes to ESAs (educational savings accounts), Barrera infers voucher programs are a systematic deconstruction of the public school system in Texas.
Rodriguez questions why the state of public education in Texas can’t improve, even though Texas consistently ranks highly in business.
Having enrolled his own children in public schools, Rodriguez says ZIP codes shouldn’t dictate the quality of education children receive. By not investing in the future workforce through increased school funding, the state is going backwards, Rodriguez said.
According to the Texas Education Agency, there are more than 5.5 million students enrolled in Texas K-12 public schools. Total enrollment for private schools in Texas is roughly 350,000.
They said that local business leaders are going up to Austin on March 26 for ¡VIVA SAN ANTONIO!, an event put on by the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce for members to speak with state legislators and address issues important to San Antonio and Bexar County.
Disclosure: In his professional capacity as an attorney, Mario Barrera has provided legal advice to the San Antonio Report.
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