The Complex Voucher Scheme

Journalist Steven Monacelli dropped a scoop today on Twitter that I wanted to linger on for just a minute, to make sure people understand what is happening.

Princeton ISD, in Collin County, is considering a scheme that is an end around into a voucher program. There are a lot of moving parts, but the people who desperately want vouchers in Texas are willing to do whatever it takes.

Let’s understand who the players are:

Princeton ISD

• 8,671 students

• They would create a charter school named “Lone Star School” following Texas Education Code Chapter 12, Subchapter C

Texas Foundation for Education Rights

• They would contract with the district to run Lone Star School (but not really)

Responsive Education Solutions

• They would subcontract with the Texas Foundation for Education Rights to run Lone Star School (but not really)

Various Private Schools Around the State of Texas willing to work with Responsive Education Solutions

• Kids would sign up with Lone Star School from across the state, but actually attend school at a local private school

Confused yet? I had to wade through the proposed contract, which has been sent over to Mike Morath with the Texas Education Agency for review and feedback, to get to the specifics, but here is what the flow looks like:

1. Princeton ISD creates Lone Star School

2. Princeton ISD signs a contract with Texas Foundation for Education Rights and Responsive Education Solutions to run the school, where Princeton ISD doesn’t really have to do anything, as the kids won’t actually be from inside the Princeton ISD boundaries

3. Lone Star School accepts students from across the state and arranges for them to attend classes at local private schools

4. The Texas Foundation School Program funds Princeton ISD for all of the new students they have using standard formulas. 100% of these funds are passed directly to Texas Foundation for Education Rights and Responsive Education Solutions

5. Responsive Education Solutions will pay the Private Schools utilizing the funds from the step above

6. Princeton ISD will also receive additional funding from SB 1882 because of these new students. 100% of these funds will stay with Princeton ISD

7. Texas Foundation for Education Rights and Responsive Education Solutions will submit grant applications to the Texas Education Agency for money via the School Action Fund. 100% of funds granted will go to Princeton ISD

8. Princeton ISD will get $500 (or $300 as the document contradicts itself) for every student who signs up for Lone Star School

There is more money changing hands, but those are the big strokes. And I haven’t even touched on who is actually behind it all, but I think that’s better left to Steven, who did a great job laying it out.

But what does it all look like? A very tangled web.

It’s public money going to private schools. And the reality is a sizable majority of private schools in Texas are religious based. 95% of those are different expressions of christianity. So really, they are attempting to use public tax dollars for a christian education, all while skimming a little here and there to make it worthwhile.

It erodes the separation of church and state, all while masquerading as public education. It’s dangerous. And it’s not public education. It’s just a complex voucher scheme.

See it. Name it. Fight it.