Agudath Israel of America applauds the Texas House Committee on public education for passing a Universal school choice bill. On Tuesday, March 11, Agudath Israel of America led a group of parents, school leaders, and community leaders to Austin in support of House Bill 3 (HB3), which was being considered by the Education Committee. HB3 was later replaced with the Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 2 (CSSB2).

CSSB2 is a proposed Education Savings Account (ESA) program that would provide parents with approximately $10,000 per student to spend on a wide range of educational expenses, including private school tuition. Students with special needs could receive up to $30,000 per year. The bill allocates one billion dollars to the program. If the number of applicants exceeds available funds, low-income and special education students will be prioritized.

The delegation began the day with an event headlined by Governor Greg Abbott at the headquarters of the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Governor Abbott addressed hundreds of parents, students, and advocates, delivering a fiery speech in support of school choice. He also thanked House Speaker Dustin Burrows and nearly a dozen other lawmakers who joined him on stage in support of the initiative.

The highlight of the day was meeting with Governor Abbott to thank him for his leadership on school choice and his support of the Jewish community. The group then proceeded to the Capitol, where they spent several hours meeting with lawmakers to express their support for the bill.

Mr. Abe Polatsek represented the sentiments of the group when he delivered a brief but compelling testimony in support of HB3. Mr. Polatsek left Houston at 3:30 AM to be among the first to sign up to testify. However, he was not called to the witness panel until 8:00 PM.

“Agudath Israel has long been fighting for school choice in Texas,” said Rabbi Ari Weisenfeld, Agudath Israel’s director of State Relations. “We are hopeful that this will be the year Texas gives parents the freedom to make educational choices that are best for their children.”

Agudath Israel urges the full House to pass the bill.