State Rep. Wes Virdell (R) has taken to social media to clarify the controversial Education Savings Account (ESA) bill. While Democrats strongly oppose the school choice measure, some Republicans have also raised concerns.
In a post on X, state Rep. Virdell explained that the ESA bill would provide scholarships to 100,000 students and that funding for the program would come from a budget surplus rather than diverting funds from public education.
“No money will ever go directly to parents,” he shared in the post. “It will be distributed through Educational Savings Accounts to schools and educational vendors that are approved by the government.”
State Rep. Virdell emphasized that the program would be managed by private companies, which he believes would operate more efficiently than the government. “If they do a bad job, we fire them and get someone who will do a better job,” he argued.
Here are some facts about the ESA bill.
It will offer ESAs (scholarships) to 100,000 potential students who apply for it.
Funding for the ESA program is not taken from the current pub ed fund. It is funded from a surplus from the previous state budget.
No money will ever go…
— Wes Virdell (@wesvirdelltx) March 16, 2025
The Republican lawmaker also argued that ESAs could benefit fast-growing areas like Medina County by reducing the need for school districts to take on bond debt for new construction. He pointed out that while school districts would lose the basic allotment funding when a student leaves, they would not lose Maintenance and Operations (M&O) funding.
In addition, he argued that the bill would encourage competition in education.
“It does create an environment that encourages ISDs to ensure parents want their kids there,” he said. “Competition is healthy.”
For state Rep. Virdell, the bill would provide students in underperforming schools with an alternative, adding that it is unlikely to significantly impact rural districts where private school options are limited.
Despite what he feels are glowing benefits, he did share that the ESA program is “not a perfect solution,” but he compared it to government contracts with private companies for infrastructure projects. “Texas already pays taxpayer money to private companies to build roads, bridges, buildings, etc. because private companies do those things well,” he noted.
Moreover, he has filed a separate bill that would allow parents to request a refund of their M&O property tax portion for their child’s education and a constitutional amendment shifting the funding burden from local communities to the state.
