Senate Bill 3 or known as the “school choice” bill has sparked controversy within school communities across the state of Texas.

The proposed bill would allow for parents to have a debit card to pay for private schools and homeschooling using state funding through taxpayer money.

Since homeschooling in the state of Texas is classified as private school, thousands of parents in the homeschooling community are concerned that if it becomes state funded, they’ll lose freedom and curriculum.

Members of the grassroots organization, Texans for Homeschool Freedom plan to go to the capitol to voice their concerns about the bill.

They gave everythinglubbock.com the following statement:

“Texans for Homeschool Freedom stands with thousands of homeschoolers across the state who believe the current school choice legislation does not provide a better option for students and families. Parents already have the right to send their children to private or homeschool with no strings attached. We believe this legislation will lead to regulation of private and homeschooling and hope our legislature will hear our concerns.”

President of Texas Homeschool Coalition, Tim Lambert, said he is in favor of the bill, and although homeschooling would become state funded, that doesn’t mean the curriculum will be state regulated.

“We actually worked with the authors of the bill and have language in the bill that will prevent regulation of curriculum,” Lambert said. “I’m all about giving parents more choices and from a free market perspective I think if you want to improve a system you let the consumer make a choice and in this case thats the parents.”

Public school districts across the state are concerned about the bill because it allows for state funding to go toward a private entity, without any accountability. Lubbock ISD school district Superintendent, Dr. Berhl Robertson said he has a few concerns with the bill.
 
“How do you know if a student leaves a public school to go to a private school or home school, that they are getting a better education?” Dr. Robertson said. “How do we hold them accountable? The answer is we don’t.”
 
Dr. Robertson said he has concerns that the bill is falsely advertising to disadvantaged students, and that overall he wishes the state would focus more on how to improve public schooling and appeal to a wider range of students.
 
“There are going to be disadvantaged students who may have attendance problems that the private schools most likely won’t take,” Dr. Robertson said. “So I don’t see where the choice is for the disadvantaged students?”